Of Rupture and Rapture
by BreadedSinner
Summary: It may be a five-year-long mistake, but at least now it's a COMPLETE five-year-long mistake.
1. Prologue

Of Rupture and Rapture

Prerequisite: this takes place immediately after Star Fox Adventures, so if you haven't played it, you probably won't understand it (playing the other Star Fox games wouldn't hurt, either). Also note that I do not own any of the mentioned characters or places; they are all © Nintendo.

The ongoing sea of stars seemed more resplendent than ever before tonight, and for good reason, for somewhere in those depths was the Great Fox. The giant ship was not a stranger to this section of space, and it was still in poor shape. But, for the first time in four years, the ship contained all four members of its famous organization—the Star Fox Team.

Their widely-known, practically legendary leader, Fox McCloud, had a strong feeling of satisfaction taking over him. Sitting in the head of the mother-ship, his suit, boots and jacket, fit for action as they were, remained stained and tattered from his most recent adventure. In fact, this particular mission was probably the most physical, being that he only spent a fraction of it in his famed Arwing. To better discipline his flying abilities, the vulpine had been trained in strict martial arts, and on this mission, he made the very most of it. He never expected to have to do so much out of his aircraft, but the long journeys on foot, the collecting of precious stones and spirits, and the intense events of close-combat were all memories still very clear in his mind.

The celestial body, simply known as Dinosaur Planet (for obvious reasons), was still in sight from the Great Fox's hull window. Just looking at it brought back memories. Fox thought about it only for a moment. The entire ordeal was somewhat tedious, or just weird considering it wasn't something he was used to, and the assistance of its scaly, cold-blooded denizens was not too frequent, but strange when it came. But it didn't really matter; the vulpine was very capable. Regardless of his personal thoughts of the mission itself, Fox found it to be more than worth it. In fact, it seemed funny how everything worked out.

Tonight the ship held as much life as it ever did. For the past four years, it was just Fox, the senior member and mentor Peppy Hare, and the mechanical genius Slippy Toad. It was for eight long and grueling years, after the team had won the Venomian war with Andross, they roamed space, searching for work, for any task, whatever it may have been, that was fit for mercenaries and promised some pay. Somewhere in the middle of this period the estranged wingman, Falco Lombardi, having little patience and a large hunger for action, jetted off in pursuit of his own excitement. It was just a few moments ago when he came through the ship's hatch doors. Now dressed in a hunter green leather suit with spike-studded armbands, donning a pair of thick sunglasses, it seemed to the other team members that he had been busy, but obviously was still the hot-headed avian he always was.

Fox was glad to see Falco again, of course; obnoxious as he could sometimes be, he appreciated his friendship and it just didn't seem like the Star Fox team without him. What caused his new, overwhelming feeling of excitement and euphoria, however, was caused by something different.

The entire team sat around the head room, with Fox in the center in the captain's chair. Sitting closest to him was a vixen, and an eerily beautiful one at that. She was such a strange sight to behold because her fur was a light, cerulean blue; a shade none of them had seen on another person before. Her eyes were also of a similar color, and they shone with a pure and innocent glint. She was dressed scantily but still elegantly with gold; the choker and pendant around her slender neck, the headband in her short, brushy hair, and the sandals on her clawed feet all tastefully accented her pelt. Her armlets, shoulder pads and bizarre weapon, a gold-colored, jeweled staff, added a belligerent aura to her beauty. The top and loincloth she wore were also of a golden color, but more noticeably they left every finely toned curve and every runic tattoo of hers completely bare. Fox found himself near incapable of ignoring her; even harder was the ability to speak normally when she talked to him, as everyone else quickly noticed.

"You're not shy, are you, Fox?" Slippy said with a laugh when Fox only stuttered in response to the entrance of the strange vixen, whose name was Krystal. Fox wasn't a very shy person at all; not once could he recall being nervous…at least not like this. And when ROB, the team's robot, said, "My sensors indicate Fox's temperature is rising. Are you okay, Fox?" that didn't really help, but the vulpine tried to be humorous about it.

"I'm gonna be just fine," he said, and hoped to himself that it was true.

So there they sat, all eyes focused mainly on the blue stranger. Well aware of the attention she was getting, she couldn't help but squirm as she leaned against her powerful-looking staff. The old hare easily recognized her discomfort, and intended to change that.

"You're from Cerinia, correct?" he said, surprising the vixen.

"Yes…yes, I am. How did you know?"

"Well, if I recall, that color is your planet's trademark…or at least, it was. I had done some research a while back, but more recently I heard the planet was mysteriously destroyed. It's actually quite amazing that we're standing here with a survivor, since none were ever reported."

"Yes, well…unfortunately I'm the only one left. I was just a girl when it happened. I remember the sky turned a deep red, buildings were crumbling, and before I knew what was going on, everyone was running around and panicking. I evacuated the planet with my family…but as we left, our ship was sabotaged. I was the youngest in my family, and they sent me away in a smaller ship, the one I have now, before it was too late. I can faintly recall what they said, let alone who or what might have caused Cerinia's destruction…but watching the ship with my family inside catch fire as I flew farther away, being so helpless…is something that's still very clear."

"Peppy!" Fox snapped with displeasure at the old hare. Slippy, the closest one to Peppy, jabbed him in the side with a frown.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry…" said Peppy, rubbing his forehead with shame, "Sometimes when you get old…you forget how sensitive these things can be."

"No, it's alright," said Krystal, "It feels rather good to tell others about that. And I'm actually quite flattered that someone wanted to know about me. I've been wandering space for a long time, hoping to find answers, and pretty much everyone I've ever met hasn't been interested in what I had to say." She then looked around the room, her eyes examining the bright lights and screens with fascination. "This has to be the nicest ship I've ever been in since I've been out on my own. I'm very lucky to have met you guys. Fox…?"

She turned her pretty head over to Fox, peering into his intense green eyes and smiling joyfully. Her stare made him twitch and his reddish brown, black-tipped ears fidgeted with a kind of nervousness he still wasn't used to. "Um…yeah?" he responded, trying to sound as calm as possible.

"Thank you…again. I know I was a bit of a jerk when I got out of that crystal, but you were right; I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for you."

"You said that!? Jeez, Fox, you have a knack for saying the wrong things to girls!" sneered Falco with his wings crossed.

"Well, I…uh…I mean, I understand, Krystal. Hey, I'm sure if I was stuck in a giant hunk of glass with no food and water…I'd be cranky when I got out, too." Krystal gave a light, pleasant laugh in response as she slowly touched his paw. The blood stormed into Fox's face, making it beam red even through the thickness of his fur.

Falco had been observing the whole situation carefully since he arrived, and he couldn't help but find it funny. When he had boarded the mother-ship, asking to re-join the team (as if they could say no to him, right?), Fox seemed to be pretty much the same guy he always was. While the reunion under Andross's vengeful siege was a surprise, the bird wasn't really expecting any more. In fact, he had trouble deciding which a bigger shock was—the insane simian villain's return from the dead or the message of a beautiful female, addressing and thanking Fox. Nevertheless, he knew exactly why the vulpine was acting the way he was, and that he probably wasn't too sure himself, or at least wasn't ready to accept it. "What surprises me is that a little lady like you is traveling space all by herself." He said with a smirk.

"It's not like I'll ever be a renowned warrior or anything, but I've managed. I mean, I'm alive before all you guys, right?"

"As far as I can tell…" Falco then gave a peculiar glance at Krystal's staff. "Fox, you used this thing on the mission? Huh. That's a stretch."

"But it's helped me so much. I've had it with me since I was a child. On Cerinia, we believed in peace, but that it often comes only after much perseverance, that's why it's custom to undergo physical and spiritual training. This staff was a gift from my family after I had finished my training. After my home was destroyed, I only had the ship, this staff, and the clothes on my back."

("Which apparently isn't very much," snickered Falco so silently that neither of the foxes heard it.

"Oh, grow up, Falco!" snapped Peppy, "Don't make me wish you'd leave the team again!")

"…There's a lot of creepy stuff out there in the galaxy, and because of this staff I've been able to survive. I'll admit it's not as good as those aircrafts you have, but my ship is only good for getting me around. And when it got stolen by the SharpClaw, this staff was all I had."

"But I found the staff as soon as I landed on Dinosaur Planet…" said Fox.

"I received a distress signal from my ship, but when I landed, it was so warbled up I couldn't understand it, and I had no idea where I was. Luckily a CloudRunner came to my assistance and we searched together for a while, but as I approached the General's Galley…I dropped my staff. I kept going, I even stumbled into the Krazoa Palace, but, as you all probably know, I got stuck…and that all led to where we are now."

"Well, luckily for you we had reasons for going to Dinosaur Planet, as well." said Peppy. "If not for the mission, who knows how long you would've been there!"

"But in the beginning…when I first got there…I heard your voice, and you told me how to use the staff. If not for you…I wouldn't have had any clue…so, I guess I owe you thanks as well." said Fox, still struggling to be cool.

"Ah! Another famous aspect of Cerinia!" exclaimed the hare. "I had heard of your peoples strong spiritual, almost psychic abilities, and that you were even able to channel these powers into your own branch of advanced technology, but I was questioning if it was all true. It seemed like rumors and myths, but by judging by what I've seen with your staff…even the excellent maneuverability of your ship, it seems obvious to me that those myths were all true!"

"They are, indeed," answered Krystal.

"It's remarkable! It really is! Maybe you can even help out Slippy with the mechanics! God knows the Great Fox could use an upgrade!"

"Hey! I'm doing a fine job, thank you very much!" said Slippy, who, though sounded insulted at first, conceded to curiosity. "…But I guess it would be worth a try…"

"I'll try to help however I can." The vixen said very softly, as if to stress just how truly grateful she was. "I mean, sure I could channel my thoughts to give instructions about my staff, but it wouldn't have mattered if no one was there…"

"And I doubt those dinosaurs were planning to go near it!" said Slippy.

"Yes, well, I guess I've always been rather headstrong. That whole incident showed me that I've been taking risks every day…and when I was stuck in Krazoa Palace…knowing that I could have died in there…it was scary. From now on, I need to be more careful; this ordeal has showed me that."

"Well, you're young," said Peppy in a tutorial but comforting sort of way. "You want answers, and considering your predicament, that's understandable. And it seems to me that you also followed that distress signal in an act of kindness. You remind me a lot of Fox, actually."

"Uh…" Fox rubbed the back of his head and tried to smile in his feverish fluster. "Err…heh-heh…I'm sure he meant that in a _good _way."

"Yeah, as in Krystal probably doesn't care as much about money as you do." said Slippy with a grin.

"Hey!"

"Well, honestly, were you really going to go through with the mission if it didn't have sufficient pay?"

"…Probably not, but I'm definitely glad I went now." Krystal grinned at him in response, and Fox found it harder to focus on what he was trying to say. Summoning as much power in himself as he could, he managed to muster the best words he could as he stood up, trying to look like the proud leader he was. "Uh…Krystal? There's something else I've been meaning to ask you…"

"Yes?"

"Um…I was thinking…well, you seem pretty capable of fighting, and you already have experience flying…so I, uh…thought it might be a good idea if you were to…join us. You know; be a member of the Star Fox Team!"

The other three members gave out a gasp, not sure how to take this. Krystal looked down at the floor in embarrassment.

"Guys! Come on! I don't see any reason for her _not _to join!"

"Well, Fox, I'm sure she's telling the truth about everything," said Peppy, "and I think she's definitely worth considering, but we haven't seen her in action or anything."

The vulpine stood up and tried will all his might to be firm in his words. "…I trust her. I think she'll make a great addition to the team, and I'm the leader, so…"

"Fox," said the vixen, still speaking softly, "It's alright. There's no reason for me to just take me in with open arms so quickly. I mean, we did just meet. Really, to just let me be a part of the team so soon would be kind of silly."

"…But…"

"Hey now, what's there to get all upset about?" said Falco with an unwaveringly carefree tone, "Now that I'm back there's nothing to worry about! Besides, Krystal, you seem to make a perfectly good damsel in distress and I don't think Fox minds rescuing you, so long as you reward him…"

"Falco!" Fox snapped his neck towards the cocky avian; his face was near eruption with embarrassment and anger as he barked at him.

"Ha-ha! Fox, you need to relax!" said Slippy playfully. The pudgy little amphibian had been working on ROB the entire time, as everyone could tell by his webbed hands constantly fidgeting in the robot's opened back. He then closed the hatch shut and smiled. "Hey, Krystal! Maybe this will cheer you up!"

The robot immediately stood upright and waved its large, rake-like hand, as if in gesture. It then said, with as much emotion as a robot possibly could, "Hello, Miss Krystal! You are such a cute and lovely angel!"

The vixen giggled. "Well, it would be the first compliment I've gotten in a while…too bad it's from a thing…"

"Hey, I've been working on ROB's conscious circuit! He's practically a member of the team! And anyway, I'm sure Fox agrees with him, right Fox?"

"What!? I…uh…"

The amphibian laughed. "Hey, I'm just trying to help you out, Fox!"

Later on in the night, the Great Fox fell silent. The image of Dinosaur Planet was getting smaller every minute as it slowly shifted away behind the ship. With their auto-pilot destination set to Corneria, the Star Fox team was ready to head back home. Each member had retreated to their own separate rooms, except for their leader, who was speaking alone with the vixen in front of the captain's quarters.

"Fox, I don't feel comfortable sleeping in your room," said Krystal in a sympathetic tone.

"Hey, don't worry about it," Fox replied, "I'll just sleep in the lounge, no big deal."

"…You sure are going a long way to make me feel comfortable. I can't remember the last time I was given such hospitality." Krystal was rubbing her arm and looking at the floor, trying her best to conceal the pink glow across her muzzle (which actually made it all the more obvious).

"Well…you're the guest; I'm kind of obliged to help you out."

"But you've already helped me so much, you didn't even have to, and there's really not much I can do to thank you."

"…Well…there is _something _I would appreciate…" the vulpine bit his lip, hoping the relative sternness of voice wouldn't give out.

"Anything," she said, smiling.

"You…you could stay."

Krystal's pretty blue smile immediately broke. "Wh-what?"

"I would like it if you stayed with us. I mean, I think you're really brave and that you'd make a great addition to the team. I don't care what the others think, I'm the leader and they have to do what I say, and I'm sure after a while they'll learn to appreciate you as much as I do…"

"Fox, I…I don't know what to say…"

"Say you'll stay! Please…"

"But…" Krystal let out a sigh. The two foxes then had trouble looking directly at each other. "I don't know what help I could possibly be to you. I'd probably just be a burden."

"I don't really care about that stuff, Krystal."

"And it's not that I don't like you guys or anything, but I think I need to keep going. I need to find answers; the reason behind my home's destruction."

"But what makes you think there's anything out there for you? You don't have the slightest idea of where to look, and you can't possibly be sure there's anything to find in the first place!"

"What are you saying? That I've spent my whole life looking for nothing!?"

"It just seems pointless. I mean, it's not like finding answers is going to bring your family or your planet back!"

"But if I figure this out, maybe I can help prevent it from happening to other planets!"

Fox couldn't stop shaking his head, in disbelief of what he was hearing. This was not the conversation he planned on having. "Even so, how can you possibly do that all by yourself?"

"I don't know—that's why I need answers!"

"Ugh…fine. If that's the way you feel, I guess I can't stop you…"

"I still appreciate you letting me spend the night and all, but once we get to Corneria, I think I'll be on my way…goodnight." And she walked away, into the room, the door sliding shut swiftly behind her. Fox slammed his head against the wall of the ship and let out a disgruntled sigh.

"Grr…women." He said as he rubbed his head against the cold metal. After a few minutes of wallowing in self-pity, he stood upright and began to walk ahead through the hall, only to be stopped by the sliding sound of an opening door to the side of him. "Huh?" Fox's ears suddenly perked as he quickly turned behind him. Seeing no one there, he sadly turned around, only to jump back in shock. "Aah!"

It was Slippy. Having seemingly appeared from nowhere, his sudden presence made the fox's heart skip a beat.

"Hi, Fox!" he said cheerfully, his squeaky voice sounding even more high-pitched than usual.

"Oh, jeez, Slip! …You surprised me."

"You don't sound very happy—I take it things didn't go too well with Krystal?"

"What? I don't really feel like dealing with this, so if you don't mind…" Noticing the toad was planning to block Fox's path, he turned around, about to take the other way, but Falco and Peppy were already standing in his way. "What? Is this some kind of intervention?"

"Not really," said Falco, "but we _do_ need to talk."

"Fox, why are you doing this to yourself?" said Peppy, his long ears drooping with heavy concern.

"What are you talking about? The only thing I'm doing to myself is losing sleep."

"You're just gonna keep telling yourself crap like that, aren't ya, McCloud?" said the avian. "You're either in total denial or you're even denser than I thought."

"Something else I had learned about Cerinia in my research…" said the wise old hare, "As it turns out, the people there had a very similar genetic code to those from the Lylat System. There's no way of confirming how that is, but there are many rumors about us sharing common ancestors, but recent enough so that evolution hasn't separated us into entirely different species, just different races. Have you noticed your translator is off? She actually speaks Lylatean like we do!"

"Oh please, Peppy! It's a very well-known language in the universe; I'm sure she picked it up in her travels. And anyway, what's your point?"

"No need to get upset, Fox. All I'm saying is that, when the time comes, you and Krystal will be able to produce healthy kits."

Fox's mouth and eyes gaped wide open. "What!? Oh, I don't believe you guys!"

"Well, fine then, Fox. If you honestly don't have feelings for that pretty vixen, then why don't you just say it?"

"Wha…? It's just…I don't…uh…I mean, I…well, the thing is…"

Peppy gave a soft laugh, amused at the situation. "Stuttering, huh? Funny…that's what your father did when he met your mother. You really _are _getting more and more like him, you know."

Fox let out a heavy sigh, slouched and lowered his head; his ears drooped all the way down. He was tired of making excuses and covering things up, in addition to be tired physically. "…But what am I supposed to do? She wants to keep looking, and I don't think I can stop her."

"I think you're looking at this the wrong way, Fox!" exclaimed Slippy.

"What do you mean?"

"Fox, you remember the day I came back from Venom only to tell you that James had been betrayed and killed, right?" said Peppy, "From that point on, you wanted answers, and you wanted revenge. Krystal probably feels the same way, but she's lost _everything_, and in one foul swoop!"

"Yeah, you need to stop being such an insensitive jerk!" sneered Falco, but with a strange tone of sincerity. "She's gone through ten times worse than you have."

"But you didn't go through it alone, because we were all there to help you out!" said Slippy, "So who's to say that Krystal has to wander space all by herself? It's not like job requests are piling up for us, so we'd have plenty of time to help her out. And if anything she'd have better chances of figuring stuff out with us than going it alone!"

"So, you're saying…if she joined, she'd be helping herself?" asked Fox.

"I think she'd be doing more than _that_." saidFalco.

"Just remember, Fox, it's entirely her choice," said Peppy, "but let her know…that you care."

"Will she stay if I do?" the vulpine was sounding more and more like a lovesick puppy.

"I'm sure she will," said the hare in the most reassuring voice, giving Fox a hardy pat on the back.

"Thank you, guys. Thanks a lot," said Fox. He gave out another sigh, but this was happier and more relieved. "I don't know what I'd do without you. I'll…talk to her in the morning when we get back to Corneria." And with that, he began to walk his original path through the hall and to the lounge. The loud clapping of boots quickly followed from behind as Falco soon caught up with him.

"Hey," he said smoothly. "Don't worry—she has no reason to say no to a guy like you, as long as you don't stay all sappy like this."

"Thanks, Falco…I think," Fox said happily but wearily.

"I must admit, you've done pretty damn well for yourself. I'm proud of ya, McCloud."

"Thank you. I'm sure one of these days you'll find a nice falcon gentle…or a cat or something…I'm sorry, I'm not quite sure what you're into these days."

"Hey, Falco, when are you gonna tell us what you've been doing these past four years?" said Slippy.

"Hey, give me a break! Maybe I'll tell you later, but this isn't about me…it's about Fox." The bird cupped Fox's shoulder and, for the first time since he arrived, gave a real, honest smile. "Go get em',"

A few hours later, Fox had finally gotten the rest he so badly needed. Out in the lounge section of the Great Fox, a spacious room with a wide, glassy view of the deep nebula, and one could just hear the rumbling sound of the mother-ship moving closer towards her destination. Lying on one of the sofas, arms and legs hanging over lethargically, he fell into a heavy slumber, falling off his last bit of thought. "Falco's right. There's no reason for Krystal to just dump me. I _did _save her life, after all. And if she stays with me, she'll have a much better chance to find what she's looking for…not to mention the company along the way." He tilted his head just to look at himself. He was a smart, athletic, successful fox, in the twilight of his youth; young enough to still want to keep going and live life, but with enough experience to know how to deal with many situations…and old enough to know what he wanted. "I just have to remember not to put any pressure on her. I just have to be myself…and let her know…" he gave out a half yip, half yawn as he puts his paws behind his head and lowered his eyelids. "She sure is gorgeous…I don't think I'll ever see another vixen as beautiful as her. God, I hope she says yes…" his breathing became perfectly still, and his eyes completely shut.

The entire inside of the Great Fox was silent for many hours, only to be disturbed by the clacking of sandals against the metal floor. Krystal sneaked through the halls, quietly as she could, heading towards the lounge room. Past the door, she slowly seeped across the large room until she found what she was looking for. She leaned against the arm of the sofa where Fox slept and watched him for several minutes.

"What am I doing?" she thought to herself, "This has never happened to me before. I've never felt like this…then again I've never been rescued before, either." Still gazing upon the fox, she couldn't help but think of how the entire situation worked out. By what chance, or even some bizarre supernatural force, that she arrive on that place known as Dinosaur Planet while the Star Fox team is sent there on a mission, all with perfect timing so that they could rescue her when she fell into danger? She also thought it was a very unlikely happening to look up from the edge of the hole in the ceiling of Krazoa Palace from which she hung, only to see _another _fox with a friendly paw reaching for her. Not to mention…such a _handsome_ fox.

"I wouldn't be surprised if he already had a girlfriend, maybe even _several_, but at least I didn't see a ring when I checked his hand, so…oh, what am I thinking!?" she placed her paws on her furry blue cheeks as the blood began to beam through them. "Dear, I don't think I can ever go back to normal now!" Knowing full well that looking at the sleeping young man again would only make her blush and tingle more, she peered over yet again and smiled while giving into the temptation of stroking his bushy, white-tipped tail. "He sure looks peaceful…I wonder what he thought of me when he saw me sleeping in that crystal…"

"Ermph…uh…" the vixen flinched when she saw Fox squirm and moan. Her eyes wandered back and forward to him and at the door, wondering if she should stay or run off before he could even notice she was ever there. Obviously she had made the decision to stay, for she firmly seated herself at the bare cushion of the sofa right next to him.

"Hey there," Krystal said very softly when she noticed Fox's eyes were opening. "I hope I didn't wake you."

"Uh…oh! Krystal!" the second Fox's eyes allowed him to see the vixen sit before him, he gasped and scrambled to sit upright. "I, uh…no, you didn't wake me…I just, um…well, I guess I'm not really tired anymore, heh-heh."

With the silver-white light of the stars, Fox could easily see Krystal had taken off her jewelry and had put on one of his larger, looser shirts. "Oh, I hope you don't mind."

"No, no! It…it's alright." Fox couldn't help but find himself pleased when he saw her like this. With all the glitter of her accessories gone, her hair messed up from sleeping; she still radiated a strangely delightful loveliness. She was a natural beauty.

"So…you're not mad at me?"

"What? No, of course not! What reason would I have to be mad at you?"

"Because of what I said…you know."

"Oh, that. Well, I think I'm the one who got a little too dramatic about the whole thing. I mean, my father was betrayed and murdered; I was orphaned at a young age, too, and when that happened, I just wanted answers, so I know what it feels like…"

"Really?" she said happily as she scooted over closer to him.

"Uh…uh, yeah!" the vulpine fell into a deep fluster the second he felt her hip touch his. "Well…except you lost your whole planet, as well. You had to start over again completely; I understand that now."

"Hmm, you know I think Peppy was right: we do seem to have a lot in common."

"Yeah! You know, they say having things in common is good for a healthy relationship…oh! I didn't mean that! I just…well, what I meant to say is that…"

"Fox?" Krystal silenced and soothed him with one word. He had no choice but to look at her and be at peace. Damn it, she's pretty, he couldn't help but think.

"Krystal…I'm glad you're here; I don't want to wait anymore. I'm sorry for what I said. I can't possibly stop you from trying to figure out your past, but there's no reason that you should do it all by yourself. I mean, I didn't, why should you have to?"

"Fox, I…"

"Because…if you join the Star Fox team, we will do everything we possibly can to help you out. Not only will the chances of you figuring it out be greater, but you'll have us by your side…for whatever happens, and we'll be there for you whenever you're done, whether you figure it out or not."

Krystal was completely speechless for several moments. Fox's paws were shaking, but he fought through his fear and took the vixen's paws, holding them tight. "Listen…I think you know how I feel, that I want you to stay…but it's completely up to you. If you think this is something you really need to do by yourself, then I guess I can't stop you. But if you leave, at least know that we'll always be around, and you can come find us whenever you need help, some kind of equipment or just someone to talk to…"

"But why, exactly, do you want me to stay so badly?"

"…Because…because, I…" Fox couldn't help but think of when he saw the vixen for the first time, sleeping soundly in the giant crystal atop Krazoa Palace. Since the very beginning he knew he had affections for her, and while he could've watched her sleep there for hours and hours (but Peppy interrupted him before he could get too comfortable), he also wanted so badly to get to know her. Now that he knew she was a brave, kind soul, with personal tragedies similar to his own and being perfectly capable of fighting by herself, rather than some damsel in distress, he found her more fascinating than ever before. Still, he thought confessing love for her would be slightly too much pressure, considering the reality that they had met but a day ago, though he planned on doing so eventually…if she stayed, that is. "It's not just you being a member of the team, but I want you around as a friend, and I'm sure the others feel the same. You're so interesting, Krystal; I really want to get to know you, and…and I already know that I care about you…a lot."

"Oh my god…" Krystal was shaking her head in disbelief, "No one…has ever been this nice to me. I've been so alone all these years, just fighting my way to survive… It would be so nice to be able to rest, to feel safe…and to have people there for me."

"You _can _have that—I think it's only fair you get the same opportunities that I have."

Krystal couldn't help but laugh. "I am really lucky that you found me, Fox. It's really quite funny the way things worked out just the way they did."

"I think that's called serendipity," the vixen tilted her head, "It's when good things happen by accident. I mean…not to undermine what you've gone through, but…"

"No, I understand, and yes, it does seem like that."

"So…does this mean you'll stay?"

Krystal giggled. "It doesn't seem like I have much choice now, does it? Even if I tried to leave, I'm sure you'd come following me."

"Well, I'm not sure if I'd be able to help myself…" the fox tried to be smooth, but his calmness plummeted once again into fluster as the blue vixen lunged at him from nowhere and nuzzled up against him. Still blushing heavily, he managed to wrap his arms around her back. "Welcome to the team, Krystal."


	2. Ghost Ship

His eyes barely cracking open, the vision of the lounge room was at first blurry with lingering weariness, but eventually Fox's sight cleared as he departed further from slumber. As he lifted his arms to stretch he couldn't help but notice they felt warmer than usual. He also seemed to have more pressure on his stomach, but he couldn't figure out why. He gave out the usual yawn when he looked down for just a second to see Krystal, sleeping soundly while nestled against his chest.

"Whoa! Wha…?" he had just managed to prevent himself from yelling, and resumed stillness until his memory finally settled in. "Oh yeah, that's right…" Fox relaxed his shocked muscles and sank into the edge of the couch. He was happy to remember the events of last night. His ears twitched jovially as he smiled at himself, the satisfaction almost overwhelming. "Things went pretty well, if I do say so myself…"

"I would assume so," said an all too familiar voice. The fox's upper body almost leaped off the other half with shock. Snapping his neck over to the side, he saw Peppy, the owner of that voice, along with Falco and Slippy standing by him. "Maybe a little _too _well?"

"Wow, Fox! Way to kiss and make up! That's got to be a record!" said Slippy.

"Oh? Wait…guys, I…" Fox tried to fix himself in a semi-sitting position without waking the vixen on top of him. "It's not what it looks like…we didn't do anything…I mean…come on, we still have our clothes on!"

"So it _didn't _go as well as planned?" said Falco, "Don't you know these things take time? And Krystal doesn't seem like the kind of girl who will let you get that far the first night…"

"Come on! Give me a break, will ya?" he said, irritated that his own team was teasing him. In this, he unknowingly made a slight shift of his legs, making Krystal cringe her eyes and moan in the disturbance of her peaceful rest.

"Mmm…mph…" the teal of her irises slowly revealed themselves like pearls as she steadily lifted herself up form the torso with her arms. The first thing she saw clearly was Fox. "Oh! Fox, I…uh…I must've fallen asleep! I'm sorry…"

"Well, no big deal…I fell asleep too, heheh." Fox responded with a boyish charm.

"Oh, isn't this an awkward moment?" said Falco with sarcasm.

Krystal gave a light gasp when she realized the rest of the team was nearby. In embarrassment, she coiled up against the corner of the couch, trying to hide her bare legs by stretching out Fox's shirt over her knees. "Um…uh…hi, guys."

"Hi, Krystal!" squeaked Slippy.

"So, I take it we've arrived on Corneria? Or have we just been sleeping longer than I thought?" Fox stood up, gave a complete stretch and started to walk towards the large window on the lower side of the Great Fox. Obviously, being in space, he couldn't tell what time it was, exactly, but to his surprise he did not see a single beam of the sun that centered the Lylat System. As far as his sight went, there was not even a faint image of a planet.

"Actually, Fox, it's still pretty late," said Peppy, almost apologetically, "We've taken a slight detour."

"Huh? What are you talking abou—?" The vulpine could barely even recognize the look of this sector of space, but the stars he saw were wiped clear out of sight as a wide plane of pearly metal cruised across the outside of the glass. The Great Fox had harbored itself closer towards another craft, and a bizarre one at that. It elegantly styled with curved wings on the side, giving it the illusion that it was gliding through space, even though it was practically motionless. And its massive size seemed to demand an almost godlike majesty. Fox leaned up to the window, looking up as far as he could and was still unable to see the top of the ship. "Whoa…"

"This is a barren area. We're off course from the Lylat System, and there aren't any other planets with any intelligent life for quite some distance." explained the hare, "ROB indicated an unidentified ship around here, and since no one ever comes this way, we thought there might be trouble…"

"Why bother?" said Fox with another yawn, becoming rather cranky in knowing he could've slept for a few more hours, "If there were people in that ship, they would've sent a distress signal."

"By the time ROB had detected this thing, the power was already dying," said Falco, "I don't like being up this late either, but what if someone's in there, and they're unconscious…or dead?"

"It looks like a leisure ship, which is even stranger," said Slippy, "Looks Ritzy, too. Hey, maybe if no one's in there, they'll be something worth some money inside!"

"Hey! We're mercenaries, not pirates!" said Fox, half-insulted by the toad's words.

"Same difference," he responded, "Most of our reward funds from Dinosaur Planet will have to go to repairing the ship, so if there's something we can get for extra cash, then I say we take it…" Fox grumbled. "I was just _kidding_, Fox! Although I'm sure there's something you'd like to use the spare change for…"

"Uh…Ahem, anyway, we've made preparations to board the ship." said Peppy, "Just check it out to make sure, okay, Fox?"

"Alright, alright…"

"Fox?" the vulpine turned to look at Krystal with wide eyes. She seemed at a lost in the new situation. "Am…Am I coming, too?"

"Of course, Krystal!" he responded, clearing his voice of all his crankiness just to be nice to her, "You're one of us now, right?"

"Right!" she exclaimed, happy that she was being included. The vixen got up and took a close look at the ship for herself, excited in the possibility of her first real event as a member of the Star Fox Team. On further examination of the ship, however, she became coldly still, but no one else yet seemed to notice.

"Humph. So she got something outta Fox after all…" Falco said under his breath.

"Well, it was going to happen anyway, we all knew that…" said Peppy, trying to be reassuring, "at least he asked a girl with looks _and _promise."

"Hey, you guys coming or what?" Fox, having already put his boots and jacket back on, was practically ready to board the ship and get the ordeal over with as quickly as possible. The three regular members followed him out the door quickly, but the leader soon realized the new addition wasn't there. "Krystal…?"

The fox looked at the vixen with wonder and worry. She was standing by the window, her delicate hand on the glass, being still as if she had been petrified there.

"It…it's not…can't be…" something about the ship's scintillating appearance, the prominent bow and the outspread wings on the sides all seemed to strike a painful chord inside the vixen. Her fingers on the glass slowly clenched, her eyes struggling to comprehend why this particular ship did something to her insides.

"Krystal? Krystal!" the sound of Fox's voice, swiftly followed by the warmth of his hand on her shoulder, temporarily broke the trance the ship's presence threw her in. She gave out a heavy sigh of relief.

"Oh! Fox, I…"

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine…sorry about that. It's just…that ship…looks so strange."

"It is an odd looking one, isn't it? Nice, though; like whoever it belongs to must be pretty wealthy."

"Yeah…"

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Fox, I'll make a pretty awful addition to the team if you're _already _worried about me."

"Heh, sorry, I guess I just can't help myself…" he said with light humor as he nuzzled in the area between the vixen's head and shoulder. For just a moment, they were warm and at peace once again.

"Hey, guys!" Falco shouted from the hall beyond the door, "You coming or what?"

"You ready to go?" Fox asked softly.

"Yes," she responded with new confidence as they walked out of the room together.


	3. It's a Mammal Thing

Following the bridge that attached the Great Fox to this new ship (which, upon further inspection, bore the title "Salvation" on the side of its bow), the team was able to walk through its main vessel of entrance. Able to walk and breathe without any form of artificial assistance, like Peppy had predicted, the team only carried the standard equipment. Fox, as usual, led the way, and was making sure the new, blue-furred member was always close by him as he walked. Not having any kind of uniform suitable for a female, the vixen had to put on her normal attire; she even had her staff hooked to her back, just in case. Krystal was given a thick metal bracelet with computerized abilities similar to what the rest of the team had, and they each included a built-in flashlight that surrounded each one them with a bright, comforting glow that paved a visible path as they crossed the bridge.

While she felt like she was already being accepted, Krystal couldn't help but feel nervous. She hadn't even technically entered the ship yet and already she could feel vibes of uneasiness. Something about this strange vessel made her feel uncomfortable, almost to the point where it was sickening just to think about it. "It's nothing to get so concerned about," she thought to herself, "I'm sure there are plenty of ships like this out there. After all, it's a big universe. I have no reason to be so vague. There's nothing strange about this ship; it just lost its way, and we're here to help. That's all. Don't get paranoid." Despite her attempts to look ready and willing, and though she was constantly making sure she didn't lag behind the others, the vixen unintentionally displayed an unnerving facial expression of discomfort.

Fox decided not to say anything to her just yet; an idea sparked in his head that he'd be able to talk to her in private, almost guaranteed to have no interruptions from his fellow mercenaries. If only they could mind their own business, but it'll change. Even though he didn't want to go through with this little expedition, since he still wasn't totally eager about it, he thought he could turn this situation around and make it work out just right for him. It certainly was funny the way things have been working out for him. Still silent other than the tapping of feet and soft breathing, Fox intentionally brushed against the vixen, grabbing her distained attention with a smile. She smiled back, but Falco found it too suggestive for his liking and rolled his eyes; Slippy just tried to hide his laughing.

Eventually, Fox broke the near perfect silence with a confirmation as spoken through the COM link on his armlet (also equipment which Falco and Slippy had on, and Krystal had just been given). "Well, the oxygen and gravity is still working fine like you said, Peppy," he said while the door leading to the inside of the actual ship lay just a few feet away.

The elderly hare had remained in the mother ship with ROB, who had scanned the Salvation and was able to download an internal map of the ship. "Like I said, the main power had just gone off, in fact it's been going back and forth, so I'm sure there are still people alive in there." He said, diligently observing the map.

"Can ROB find any of their heat signatures?"

"So far, no, nothing like that…I really fear something terrible happened on that ship. I think you should try and hurry."

"What should we do, Fox?" asked Krystal sheepishly.

"Let's be quick and thorough…" he responded as the end of the bridge became clear in the darkness. The doors looked like two stone slabs that supported a spherical glyph, encrusted with dust and thick, withered roots.

"What in the hell is _that_?" said Falco.

"It's probably just a decoration or something," said Slippy, "Judging from the outside, I'm sure whoever owns this ship could afford anything he wanted…"

"Will you drop that, already?" said Fox, still annoyed at the amphibian. "Since the power's out, we'll have to get through the doors with force."

"Alright then, let me at it!" said the falcon as he pulled up his sleeves a bit and rubbed his wings together. He fit his feathery fingers in the slender slit between the slabs, and Fox did likewise on the other side.

"One, two…_three_!" the two of them pulled as hard as they could to tear the stone slabs apart, but after almost a full minute, there was no signs of progression.

"Um…maybe it can be _pushed_?" said Krystal, trying to be helpful. She approached the rigid doors and, not sure of what she was doing was an intelligent choice, placed her paws on the glyph and prepared to push the doors downward. Before the team could assist her, before the vixen could even apply much force into her arms, a cold, cringing sound echoed through the bridge as the stone slabs shifted apart and opened up by themselves. In this, an enormous foyer revealed itself, dark and desolate, elegantly sculpted with pillared hallways and cryptic scriptures diligently written along the shining floors.

The team stood still for a moment, dumbfounded by what they just saw.

"Oh…kay…" Fox said unsure if what he saw really occurred.

"How did _that _happen?" asked the shocked toad.

"Huh. Maybe Krystal doesn't know her own strength," said Falco with a tone that implied he was trying his best to be friendly. Krystal blushed, and the avian quickly headed into the foyer, rotating himself so he could catch a glimpse of as much as he could. "Jeez, this place is like a mansion!"

Slippy excitedly leaped through the opened entrance and followed the bird into the ship. Likewise, he was amazed at what he saw. "Okay, I know we're not pirates, but if there aren't any survivors in here, I'm really going to have to take something. I mean, it would be a crime _not _to!"

"Well, it might be…" said Krystal softly. The rest of the team seemed surprised yet interested at her words as she spoke. "It's just…sometimes people like to die along with their possessions; they think it's necessary for them to be happy in the afterlife. As far as we know, there's no one alive in here…but we can see all these elaborate things and it seems strange. But, what it could be…is something like a great tomb, eternally roaming through space, perhaps even built for several people, with all their worldly belongings, ready to be taken once they cross over." She sighed and looked at the floor once she was finished with her speech.

"That's an interesting theory you've got there, Missy," said Falco, "weird…but still interesting."

"Hey! Leave her alone," said Fox as he walked up closer to the vixen. He was tempted to wrap his arm around her waist protectively, but decided not to. He could save his advances for later. "Krystal has a point. I've heard of people doing that, so it's definitely a possibility."

"A big floating coffin, huh?" said Slippy, "Maybe…I guess I'll just have to keep my sticky hands to myself and keep to business, eh?" the toad laughed at himself, and Krystal seemed pretty amused as well, but the other two were more focused with their unofficial mission.

"In any case, we had better get started," the vulpine said with a sigh. Seeing the ship was even bigger than he thought, he figured it would be best to split up. "Slippy, get to the lower level of the ship; the generator _should _be there, so see if you can get this place up and running again."

"Right!" the amphibian hopped with excitement.

"Falco, you check out the upstairs, Krystal and I will examine this level."

"Uh-_huh_," the avian grunted. Slippy couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

"What? What's so funny?" asked Fox, now confused in the loss of gravity the situation once had.

"Just some advice for ya, Missy," said Falco as he walked up to Krystal and pointed to her new bracelet. "You can use this to contact any of us at any time, so if lover boy over here gets too touchy-feely, you just call me and I'll come running to beat some sense into him, alright?"

"Oh, come on, Falco! Don't you trust me?"

"No," the avian said bluntly, "no I don't. Not at all."

"Krystal, I'll keep in contact with you, as well," said Peppy through the vixen's COM link, "so Fox can't do anything funny without any of us finding out, alright?"

"Alright, I'll keep that in mind," said Krystal, giggling. "Thank you very much, guys."

"Hey!" at this point, the vulpine knew everyone else was poking fun at him, and he detested it. "The lower level is probably larger, and since she's new and everything, I only think it's fair she stays with me…for safety reasons!"

"Yeah, _sure_ Fox, whatever." said Slippy, still laughing some.

"It's okay," said Krystal in a teasingly seductive way, "I think I can take care of myself! I've been doing it all my life."

"Alright, alright!" said Fox, fed up with the joke, "let's just get this over with already!"

"Relax, Fox, we're leaving," said Falco as he jerked a wave goodbye while walking up the regal, stony stairs. The doors swinging shut behind him, the falcon decided to quickly check his COM link as he walked through the halls. "You know, Slippy, I don't know why Fox acts so surprised at the way we treat him. I mean, he's moving in on Krystal so quickly, and she doesn't even seem to mind that much, it's like they're married or something!"

"Hmm…well, maybe it's a _mammal _thing," responded Slippy as he made his own way down the stairs into the lower bowels of the ship, ready to get to work.

Back on the main level, the vulpine cooled down and approached the blue vixen again. "Well then…shall we?"

"First you have to promise not to get too intimate—this is a mission, after all."

"Very funny. Everyone's ganging up on me, but I don't mind…"

"Could've fooled me!" Krystal looked at him, the poor thing flustered with embarrassment again, and laughed. She was able to forget the thoughts that worried her…for the moment, at least. "Come on, you silly fuzz-ball, let's get going."

Meanwhile, back in the Great Fox, Peppy watched the team's movements on the digital map, and was somewhat relieved to see them finally progressing. "Alright, they've started, that's good." With his paws behind his back, he walked up to the hull, looked out the window onto the ship. The vessel seemed to resonate a haunting sort of aura that made the hare have to clutch his heart. "I don't know why, but I've got a terrible feeling about this ship…something about it just isn't right. It should be nothing; there might not be anything left in that ship at all, but even the circumstances seem strange to me."

"Scanners indicate faint traces of organic matter." stated the robot.

"Huh? Really?" said the hare, "ROB, have you found any leads to any passengers yet?"

"Negative."

With that, Peppy sighed and turned back around at the ship. "Just hurry up, guys…I want to put this behind us."


	4. Listen, Listen

Quick note: the ship's name has changed from "Apparition" to "Salvation".

The long corridors of the Salvation's upper level were cold and lonely. Particles of dust seemed to float around in the chilled atmosphere from off the inscriptions on the walls. Winding hallways only lead to more empty rooms, arched with pillars that stood rigid, as if they were fossils.

A soft rectangular carpet lined through the hall that the falcon was walking through, and as he casually passed, his beaming lights uncovered a series of stone molding coming out of the walls. Looking for something of interest, he walked up to each of them and studied them for a moment with his light. With a grayish blue color and deep, precise carvings, he was able to make out what seemed like an old passage of a story come to life. They told of a huge amount of people, pioneers of some kind, it seemed, being sent to a huge planet by God's providence as depicted by a ray of light. The later moldings proudly displayed their own passages; of the same people, dancing, studying, fighting with primitive weapons, performing rituals that seemed strangely beautiful even to an alien. One of the last ones was the most puzzling to the avian; it looked like this same group of people was meeting with a different group, their respected home planets shown behind them. At the center, the presumed leaders of these groups, one of them a raccoon and the other was some kind of hound dog, were shaking hands, and their followers were rejoicing. Falco gave out a whistle, signifying that he was impressed at the craftsmanship. Then, knowing he had to go on with his rescue mission, walked away and forgot about it.

The large corridor that Falco was walking through eventually came to an end, where it and several other walkways met at a large space of tiled floor, covered with a spiraled sun mosaic. Above was a huge glass ceiling that allowed the silver-white starlight to shine through, which further enhanced the symbol, as well as rid this level of the ship of total darkness. The simple but lovely pattern seemed faintly familiar to the avian, but he couldn't remember how that was.

As inviting as it was, nothing about the ship seemed to imply that anyone had ever roamed these rooms, as the falcon quickly noticed while he wandered the upstairs, his light searing through the bluish-black darkness as he walked.

"Hello? Hey! Is anyone here!?" Falco's shouts and calls were only answered by their own echoes. "Anybody!?" loud as he could make his voice, his strained yells failed to penetrate the ship's barrier of silence. No matter how much he tried, everything fell still again, just like it had been before, and perhaps like it will once he leaves. "Jeez, I'm starting to think this really is a ghost ship. It doesn't look like _anyone's _been here in ages!" Had it been up to him, the avian would've already left this hollow piece of overpriced junk and flown off to do something more exciting. But, knowing the team had their hearts in finding at least a sign that someone was in here, and since he did just rejoin, it would seem hypocritical…or even just lazy, of him to not even try. So he kept on looking, walking in every direction, ready to inspect every corner of his assigned section.

He opened the first door at the end of a long hallway, and not too carefully, since he was already convinced no one was there. He could already see pitch black creeping out of the room, but nevertheless he walked in and benighted it with his flashlight. Immediately he saw two beds, both of a small size and unmade. He inched further in and was surprised to see dolls scattered across the floor, as if they had been used very recently. Almost ready to change his mind, the bird gave out another call, this time more softer than before, "Is anyone here--?" his words stretched out as the slightest noise, his hearing sharpened by the otherwise utter silence, and he instinctively raised his blaster as he swiftly swished backwards, facing the doorway again. A gentle tap echoed, the avian returning his firearm to his holster while watching a toy shelf next to one of the beds fall over. The items it held spilled over, but a continuum of shifting, thumping noises spread from outside. "Hey!" he called, and responsively the sound increased in speed but went further away. "Wait! I know someone's there! I'm here to help you!" Falco shouted as he quickly slid out the doorway and rushed through the hall, his boots clacking as he pumped his legs, his sense now excited. "Come back! I just want to help! I—ah!"

"Oh!"

Having been over stimulated with the hope of finding a passenger, the falcon was shocked to crash into an unknown body. "Hey! What gives?"

"Will you be quiet, already!?" a voice hissed. Falco, still stunned, could just conclude that it was female. He quickly recovered and was about to beam his flashlight on the stranger, when she struck his arm and shut it off. "What do you think you're doing, young man!?"

"What am _I _doing!?" he snapped right back. He couldn't indicate nearly as much as he could with the assistance of more light (starlight wasn't of much help at their position), but by the look of the woman's silhouette and with some help from his natural "hawkeyed" abilities, Falco could gather that she was a fellow avian, though most likely an owl, a bit on the short side and hunched at the back.

"Yes, you heard what I said!" she replied in a snippy tone, "You must be out of your mind, running around the ship, yelling at the top of your lungs and flashing that silly light of yours. God, I can't stand the light, especially at this hour—and don't!" she cut through her lecture with another swipe at Falco's wrist, seeing that he was trying to turn his light back on. "What is the matter of you? Weren't you ever taught to respect your elders?"

"Humph. I have a hard enough time respecting Peppy and General Pepper…and this stranger thinks I would listen to _her_?" Falco thought to himself, amused at it for a moment before deciding to retaliate. "Listen you old hag! In case you haven't noticed, you're ship is wondering through an unauthorized section of space AND it's completely offline! Did you ever wonder why nothing's working in here!?"

"You idiot!" the elderly owl squealed, "Everyone is _asleep_! That's why there's no power! And if you were flapping your big beak any longer, you would've woken everyone up!"

"Hey! What's all that racket!?" a voice cried from a slightly opened door across the hall.

"Please stop shouting!" another said.

"Go back to sleep!"

"You see?" said the owl in victory.

"Wha…? I, uh…" Falco had to take a step back. With the lonesome aura this place seemed to give off, the total lack of power or response, not to mention Peppy's high level of concern, it hadn't crossed his mind that it might just end up being a big misunderstanding. Such an embarrassing idea had never occurred to him, or to any of his teammates. He bit his tongue, processed the whole ordeal, but not all of it seemed to check out, so he continued to rebel. "Well, that still doesn't explain why you're way out here in the middle of nowhere, completely defenseless!"

The owl woman didn't respond at first; by the sound of her breathing, she seemed shocked, but then she just grunted. "Don't you know ANYTHING!?"

"What…?"

"Now how stupid can you possibly be, boy? Don't tell me you don't know why we've traveled so far!"

"Ugh! Listen, lady, I'm not a passenger here! I'm a mercenary! My team and I found your ship here and—"

"Sssshhh…" the woman's voice fell soft as she turned around. The two birds soon picked up faint sounds of people talking just a few rooms away. "Oh, dear; the council is having another one of their midnight meetings, and I haven't found Skye and Myst yet…"

"A council?" said Falco as he began to march away from the owl and towards the source of the voices, "Good. Maybe _they _can make sense out of this…"

"Wait! No, what are you doing!?"

"Whatever you think I'm doing. Why don't you just go back to sleep or something, lady?"

Even through the darkness, one could see the infuriated red blasting out of the woman's plumage as she gave up and stormed off, muttering to her self. "Kids these days, they've got some nerve! I try to help them but they just don't listen to me, _none _of them! Well I've had it; they can go wandering around, playing make-believe, they're all going to get what's coming to them, then they'll be sorry. Hell, they're not my kids, why should I care anyway…" It went on like that until her shrill voice faded, her black figure gone. Of course by that time, the falcon was beyond caring about the old hag.

Falco stealthily crept through the hall, his sharp eyes focusing on the door just ahead of him, rather separate from the rest as if it were special, where voices kept seeping through from out of its cracks. With a wing on the smooth, stony railing and a foot on one step of a small set of stairs, he began to decipher the words that were spoken.

"What do you mean you don't think we're going to make it?"

"Yes! Why would you speak such blasphemy?"

"Huh?" the bird grew confused as he continued to carefully walk up the stairs, one at a time.

"We just want to put the tragedy behind us, is that so wrong?" said a gentle female voice. Falco couldn't help by be reminded of Krystal when he heard it. "We've lost the attackers, and at this speed we should be able to get to our new home…"

"Don't you understand? We were not meant to run away!" blasted an older, groggy male voice. "Even if we think we're safe, we cannot escape this enemy…for it is not of this world."

A younger man blurted out, not sure if he could help the argument, "But the pact…"

"The pact was that either they would come for us or we would be destroyed together! Did you see anyone coming to rescue us when the sky was bleeding!? I don't think so!"

"What are they _talking _about?" said Falco as he gently leaned up against the door. With the utmost caution, he steadily cracked the door open to see a spacious, dark room, lighted with the glow of a hologram, depicting a planet that swirled with lush green, deep blue and wispy white. A large bluish white star centered the planet, and together they shone upon the round able they were based on, and gave visibility to the white robed figures that sat around the table with their heads down. "It looks like a briefing room…but what's up with this 'council'?"

"Our Lady is doing the best she can to lead us to the promise land," said the female, "No matter what the stories say, she has gone to great lengths to secure our safety, and we have reasons to trust her over anything."

"Yes, Lady Sappho is going to save us. We have faith in her," said another figure.

Falco could just make out one of the figures shaking his head, as if in disbelief. When he spoke, it obviously was the cynical, older man. "Lady Sappho can do all she wants, but she, like the rest of us, cannot withstand God's wrath for long. This whole escape mission is only prolonging our inevitable deaths."

The woman gasped. "Don't say that!"

One of the other men slammed his fist onto the table. "How dare you!?"

"Oh, Our Lady can claim she has a strong binding with the Creator, and she may have enough money to provide for us, but these things are all superficial! We're only mortals; we can't fight these forces forever! There is no way she can protect us forever. I know she only brought us to this elaborate ship just so we'd feel safe, like we didn't have anything to worry about. But in the end, she's just like the rest of us; the things she has can only go so far…"

The council fell silent, and the falcon's eyes were wide. "What the _fuck_!?" he hissed under his breath. "These people are out of their minds! That's it; it's time to end this! I'm going in there!" he pulled his sleeves up a bit and was ready to bust the doors down, when a frail little voice popped out from nowhere.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you!" it cried softly.

"Huh?" surprised, Falco turned to see the image of a little girl, appearing to be ursine, and, judging by her height and the sound of her voice, couldn't be any older than thirteen. Upon close enough look, the avian sighed and rolled his eyes. "Look, why don't you just go back to sleep, little girl? I've got some grown-up business to attend to and I'm tired of being interrupted."

"…They're having a meeting in there…" the girl wisped. "They would be very angry if you interrupted them."

Falco grunted. "I'm apparently the only one who's still in touch with reality. Look, I'm trying to help you people, and you're all in denial of what's going on!"

"…They're talking about bad things in there, aren't they? They don't think we're going to make it…"

"They act as if they're escaping an enemy…don't they know their ship is dead and they're in the middle of nowhere?"

"I don't know…what you're talking about…"

"What?"

"Who's out there!?" the cynical man's voice bellowed.

"Quick! Follow me!" the girl squealed as she grabbed Falco's wrist and dragged him into a shadowy corner, where she flung a door open and made him enter with her.

"Is anyone there?" said one of the younger male's voices, clouded behind the female, who had gone and stepped out of the briefing room.

"No…I don't see anyone," she said softly, in a tone that implied she might've known that wasn't entirely true. With a few more steps, in the starlight she removed her hood and revealed a vulpine face to the empty space above her. "There's no one here…" and she slowly walked back into the room.


	5. Uncertain Discoveries

"Hey! What was _that _about!?" the falcon blurted, his anger clouding the awareness of his surrounding.

"Please…be quiet," said the ursine girl with her frail little voice, "Everyone is sleeping. They're trying to be fully rested, for we'll soon arrive at our new home. My sister and I were so excited, after all the bad things had happened, we were going to start anew, but the council doesn't quite feel the same, as you probably noticed…"

"Uh-huh…" Falco said, obviously not caring as he tried looking around the room. He could just make out the images of tall shelves that encircled the round room, a glass sphere in the center of the ceiling, allowing starlight to flutter on the runic tiled floor.

"You're excited too, are you not?" the girl asked, trying to be polite, "That's why you're up so late like my sister and I, right?"

"What? No. Listen kid…"

"Actually, I was trying to sleep, but my sister Myst snuck out a few minutes ago. When I heard footsteps near my room, I thought it was her, but when I saw you, I figured it was an elder, come to scold me for letting my sister run away during sleeping hours, that's why I ran off the way I did…"

The avian slowly treaded the room, the girl standing close to him, and he didn't become any more interested while she talked, rather he just asked some supposedly idle questions out of pity. "Ugh. Does that mean you're the older sister?"

"Yes. Well…sort of. We're twins, my sister and I…but I came out first; I'm older by five minutes. I guess I have always been the more responsible one. I'm actually kind of worried about Myst. I still can't find her…"

"Hey, that's great…" Falco traced his feathery fingers against the shelves, and then picked at the top ends of a random book. "So this is a library, huh? Man, this all seems kind of…_unnecessary_. But I guess…the ship and everyone in it must be okay. I was wrong…well, heh, it's actually Peppy who's wrong; it's not my fault at all really. I would never make this kind of mistake…" As he continued to stroll, he opened the book he took out and carelessly flipped through it, only to realize that he could barely see anything on the pages. "Ah! Duh! I forgot, I never turned my lights back on after that old bag snapped at me…" So, without a second thought, he pressed one of the buttons on his armlet and his body once again became engulfed with light. His vision perfectly clear, he looked down at the book. Seeing unfamiliar sentences that seemed to preachy and lecturing for his taste, he closed it and took a good look at the cover. "Huh…I have _never _heard of this book or the author in my entire life. Then again, I've never been much of a reader, so…"

"Hmm? Which one is it?" asked the girl, speaking so kindly as if she already knew and trusted the falcon. As an act of reflex he raised his head and pointed it in the direction of the girl's voice. From there, his lantern beamed on the girl, her entire body and most of her features completely visible. With the light, it was easy to see the girl wasn't technically ursine—a panda, rather—but Falco barely noticed that at all. It was barely a flicker in his mind, crushed by the swift and merciless shock that swept over all other thoughts. The panda girl's reply was opposite to the bird's. "Oh dear. You're not one of us at all…"

The hardcover book made a soft thump as it fell to the floor.

Elsewhere, in the nether-regions of the ships, loud and stumpy footsteps resounded in columned halls, a focused ray of light scanning every corner, only to be disappointed with incomprehensible results. A certain amphibian mind was beginning to feel insulted, since he could not determine what the symbols he saw meant, it was almost as if they were arcane, and taunted the toad with their mystery.

"Hrmph…" Slippy pouted as he glared at the inscriptions of the wall he was passing by. "I just don't get it. These symbols don't add up. They're too perplexing to have any kind of meaning…and I don't see what purpose they could have on any working ship…" he walked up close to one of the walls and squinted at the sings as if in a last resort to understand their meanings, and yet, not surprisingly, his brain came up with little response. "Oh…nothing. But, surely they have _some_ reason for being all over the ship!?" the amphibian sighed. "Maybe Krystal was right. Maybe it's for ceremonial purposes or something…" he took another hard look at them. "Well…now that I think of it…they kind of look those tattoos Krystal had…erm…" he blushed at the thought of it, then covered his face with his webbed hands. "Not that I was really, looking of course! Heh heh, I'll bet if I _were_ to do something like that, Fox would get mad at me…" Having slightly lifted his own spirits, he took another look at the symbols, optimistic that they might eventually spark something in his mind. Starting to feel even more curious, he put one of his hands up to the wall. With the slightest contact of cold stone, the first rune he touched flicked with an eerie blue light. Slippy backed his hand away, startled so much by the light his pudgy body leaped back. Now more intrigued than ever, he quickly, but carefully, he pressed his green palm onto the first symbol. Immediately the spectral flared up around the insides of carving, instantaneously flowing to each side. The toad barely had enough time to stand back and gawk while the entire wall was ablaze with sky blue light. "Whoa!" Slippy squealed, but, before he had a chance to appreciate the haunting beauty, the light of the runes faded and resumed their normal lifelessness. "How did that happen? Do these things…respond to living contact?" The amphibian was about to take a step forward again to test his hypothesis, when a sharp, fizzing sound made him shudder.

"Slippy! Slippy, are you there?" called Peppy's voice. Slippy eased himself, clutching the small headphones that fit over his hat, and responded.

"Oh! Peppy! You'll never guess what I just found…!"

"Hold on. Listen, Slip, ROB has been detecting a lot of strange things."

"That's not surprising. The ship is giving me the creeps! Like I just found out that--"

"Anyway, I'm getting some traces that there are living things on board, but a few things seem to contradict each other. First ROB was unable to find any heat signatures of any possible passengers, then he picks up traces of organic matter…"

"Well, that could be a lot of things…"

"I had him scan for brain waves, but we didn't find anything. So even if there aren't any living passengers, there's still a chance that something else is alive on the ship..."

"Oh, great…" said Slippy with discontent. "So…have you informed the rest of the guys?"

"Well…actually…" Peppy could be heard clearing his voice, trying to treat what would seem like a delicate situation very carefully. "The reason I'm telling you this is because the source of this organic matter seems to be based in your direction."

"So…it…it's near me!?" Slippy's stout little body began to quake uncontrollably. "It's near me!? Who knows what it could be!? What'll I do!? I can't deal with that sort of thing! Get the others to come down here or something!"

"Slippy! Slippy!" the elder hare bellowed, "Slippy, please!! There's no need to panic!"

"I…I just…" the toad gave out a few pants and released most of his anxiety. "Well…like I said…this is giving me the creeps."

"Just relax, don't think about it like that. I doubt it's anything that can harm you. What's strange is that while this organic matter is faint and is giving off its own energy, it seems to have a very similar isotopic signature to the ship, as if it's an extension to the Salvation."

"Oh…okay…I'll check it out then."

"Slippy…are you going to be okay? Didn't you have something to tell me?"

"I…I, um…" the amphibian still trembled as he advanced towards what he now knew would lead to some sort of living thing, and his nervousness blocked most rational thought, including the memory of the dazzling discovery. "…nothing. I didn't find anything. I'll tell you what I find. Slippy out." And with a big gulp, Slippy gathered all the courage he had and ran into the darkness ahead.


	6. Spirit of the Catacombs

Much to the amphibian's dismay, the walkway only became darker and more winding. They stretched to abridge over an uncertain abyss, and Slippy could feel his legs wobble in fear of falling and never recovering. The still look of the halls and columns, absorbing even shadows and belittling the light that surrounded him, stood as if time had stopped completely. Feeling desperately alone, as if the dark underbelly of the ghost ship was to devour him, sucking out all the energy he once had, imprisoning him in its eternally firm clutches, the toad swallowed back his anxiety and trembled onward. Even though he could feel his spine toppling, and even though his jacket tightened and began to feel damp on the inside, he proceeded, continuously telling himself he was safe.

"I should've told Peppy about those weird walls…but _no_! I had to blank out and keep going, out to find who knows what! I still…wonder what those symbols are there for. So they can sense close contact with heat, so what? What purpose could that possibly serve?" He scanned his brain for a possible answer, but nothing came out, and the desolate lower level of the ship wasn't doing much to help him. He slowly moved onward until he saw a dim outline of a tall arch, based off a polished shine that reached out to his flashlight. "Hey, what's that!?" he cheered with excitement and relief. He could feel his energy recovering and growing inside him as he started to tread the long hall faster than before. His stubby legs pumped as best they could, his green face almost glowing, the echoes of his pounding footsteps and anxious pants defeated the steadfast silence, until one webbed toe fell out of rhythm and he stumbled over. He didn't trip, but hopped a space to avoid falling. In this, he was able to hear another step, and he was certain it was not his own. "Huh?" he braced himself, but only silence responded. "…Fox?" the quietness ensured, "F-Falco?" still nothing. "Maybe it was just my imagination…" and with that, Slippy steadily resumed walking, his hearing more attune to his surrounding, even though he couldn't see much of it. Glancing back and forth from his feet to what was hopefully a door just a few feet ahead, when another thump, gentle but apparent, struck the toad, knowing it was off from his own system of steps. "Who's there!?" he called out, focusing his lights all over the place. He beamed the whitish yellow light all over both sides and ahead of him, then twisted back and searched there, but the insides were hollow. Another outside step, its source unknown, swiftly multiplying then traveling behind the way the amphibian came, to around the pillars he dared not even go, the shock made him skip a beat and he fell totally off balance. He squealed as he slid against the smooth floor and bumped his round head as it hit a nearby pillar. "Ow! Ugh…this sucks." Slippy pouted as he slowly sat up, almost ready to throw a tantrum. "I hate this ship!"

"How can you hate it?" a frail but muffled voice cried from directly behind the amphibian, making him yell in surprise.

"Waaaah!" he gave out a jump and clutched his heart.

"Wow! I really scared you!" the voice, obviously a young girl's, sounded very delighted. "I didn't even say 'boo' yet!"

"What the…!?" Once Slippy had settled a bit, he turned around to see a bundle of white, standing just an inch or two above him, slightly budging up and down, so it was presumably breathing, and it had two holes cut at the head, giving the illusion of sharp, black eyes. The amphibian could just make out two bumps on the head, looking like ursine ears. "Huh? Are those…bed sheets you're wearing?"

"Nuh-uh!" said the bundle of white with pride, "I'm the Spirit of the Catacombs! Now give me your soul! Bwa-ha-ha!"

"Uh…huh…" Slippy grunted, unable to believe he was scared of what he already figured was a little girl dressed up as a ghost. Before he could say any real words to her, he noticed she had stood unnervingly close to him to look directly into his wide, blue eyes. "Uh…what are you looking at? I could use some personal space here…"

"You're green!" the girl cheered, a great sense of curiosity and wonder in her voice.

"Um…thank you?" the amphibian said as he gently pushed her away from his face.

"I've never ever seen someone colored greenbefore! Well, not in _person_, anyway! How fascinating!"

"What? No amphibians or lizards where you're from?"

"Um…nope, we've got some, but they're not green…"

"Okay…well, um…I don't really know what's going on…"

"Hmm…you can't possibly be with the ship. How'd you get here? Oh! You're a stowaway, aren't you? Aren't you?" the girl still seemed to be ready to jump for joy, she was so ecstatic.

"Uh…I…"

"Ooh, here to steal the ship's booty, aren't you?"

"Well, funny you should say that, actually…heheh."

"I hate to disappoint you, Mister Stowaway, but I've been told much of the stuff we have on this ship isn't of much value anywhere else. Err, wait…maybe that's at least what I'm _supposed _to say to pirates so they lose interest…of course that's not very convincing, and either way I shouldn't told you that…oh! Well, other than that, we only brought the bare necessities. And by the way, my name is Myst! It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"Hmph. I thought you were the Spirit of the Catacombs, here to take my soul…" Slippy decided to sympathize with the girl, while thinking "What in the world am I doing?"

"I can still have a name, you know! And souls provide much more power if they're full of positive energy, so I might as well be nice to you before I take it away from you!" Myst said with a joyful twirl.

"Okay…well, if you don't mind sparing my soul, I should get going. My team is probably waiting for me and…"

"Ooh! More souls to power the ship! Wonderful!"

"Power the ship? I…alright, no more playing around. Look, your ship is way out in the middle of nowhere and there's absolutely no power! If you could just tell me what's going on…"

"You're worried about the ship, even though you're clearly an outsider? How kind! This proves we'll be okay!" Myst then gave Slippy a hug, and even though her appearance was a complete mystery to him, the fact that she was a female made him blush. Soon the girl released her self and shook her finger at him. "But you don't have to worry! Nope! Not about a thing! There's no power because everyone is sleeping! And the Salvation has come such a long way, pilgrims are bound to cross uncertain areas on their journey!"

"Pilgrims? Journey?"

"Hey! I've got an idea! Since you've been so nice, I'll show you something really amazing! I'm sure an outsider has never seen anything like it!"

"Well…I guess I could…"

"Great! Come on!"

"Whoa!" yelped Slippy as he was yanked by the wrist and pulled forwards, forced to run with the cloaked girl as she headed towards to arched door. "She's going exactly where I was planning to go, so hopefully I'll be able to check out how this thing runs." He thought to himself as the door became closer and larger. "But there's still a lot that doesn't make sense. Peppy said there wasn't nearly enough traces of energy or anything to be intelligent living things still on the ship. And this girl said there are other on the ship…just resting? I don't understand any of this…"

"Here we go!" said Myst as they both stood at the head of the door. Upon close inspection, Slippy could see it had a glyph, surrounded by what look like long roots, plastered in the center. It was much like the one he and his team saw in the beginning, but larger.

"Oh, it's another one of those things…"

"Let _me _do it!" she said happily. The amphibian didn't know what she was talking about, but the girl didn't even phase the thought of it as she wiggled her fingers and pressed her paws (also covered with blankets) onto the glyph.

"Uh…are you sure you don't need help…?" Slippy could barely finish his sentence when he saw the great door crack in half and slide apart from each other, and it was obvious that Myst had not pushed them at all. "What the?"

"Come on!" the girl said excitedly when the doors had completely opened. She ran inside with her arms stretched forwards like she was pretending to fly, and Slippy just rolled his eyes as he slowly followed her.

But as the light in the next room showered upon the amphibian, veins of fiery blue traveling from the ground up to the top of the ceiling through a most peculiar vessel, his wide eyes bulged with shock and his mouth gaped wide open. He didn't even have the strength to let out a gasp.


	7. When Two Lights Become One

The enormous width of the main floor allowed for massive corridors and rooms, all filled with exotic items. The golden tracing along the walls illuminated every passage way almost as well as the rays of light that searched through every corner. The great stony columns and foundations stood unflinching, though it seemed they had been there for many ages, proudly fulfilling their solemn duties, or so the enigmatic symbols and monuments posted about the ship implied. While he still wasn't eager about being there, Fox couldn't help but wander with his eyes as he walked the straightforward path. Every room was checked, and of all the strange things he discovered, people were not one of them, not even bodies or trace of them. As he walked, he went through several possibilities. Lylateans had been flying ships in spaces for many eras, but none of them he had learned about looked anything like the one he was in. It seemed so strange that such an opulent _and_ ancient-looking vessel was completely abandoned yet seemed to be in wonderful condition. What seemed so peculiar to Fox was that while the ship was styled as if it were a sacred temple one would find in an archaeological expedition, its condition was superb. While it was too dark to see without assistance from the flashlights, the materials of the ship seemed to give off a dim but ethereal glow. He put his hand up against a pillar, and while it looked like stone, it didn't feel like any rock he had ever seen before. In one certain area, the fox came by a trail of dust, which led to a pile of small chunks by a large crack in the wall. He picked one up at random and squint his eyes as he focused them on it.

"Hmm…looks like whoever owned this ship should've invested more in the foundation, instead of all this stuff. If they were attacked, even a minor strike could make the entire place collapse." He said as he scanned the piece of wall with his armlet. In a few moments, Peppy, having received the data on the material, replied,

"Well, it's certainly of a strange composition…nothing I've ever encountered before. But I'll look into it. Peppy out."

One theory the vulpine thought of was that the ship became stranded earlier on, and the passengers had already evacuated. There was still a chance for him to be wrong; there was still at least a section of the ship that remained unexplored (assuming his fellow teammates were having similar luck), but the little of Fox's enthusiasm was quickly evaporating. His eyes soon grew weary of looking at forgotten valuables and spacious walkways that seemed destined only for collecting dust. Without realizing it, his eyes phased out the surroundings and centered on the blue vixen that accompanied him. While she was keeping to herself with the occasional glance and smile in his direction, Krystal was immediately able to grasp onto his attention with her beauty. This made his ears wiggle. The two of them had been exploring for what seemed like hours, and the vulpine just realized that the two of them hadn't really spoken much in this time.

"Gah! What am I doing?" he thought to himself in frustration, "This mission is probably a bust, but it could be a golden opportunity for me to make my move!" he was walking just behind Krystal at the time, part of his brain trying to figure out what to say to her, and another was trying to control the wagging of his tail. She was of a sweet and gentle, yet still overwhelming and intimidating pulchritude, so he was feeling a strange combination of happiness and nervousness. "Ermph…"

"Hmm?" Krystal's ears twitched the strange squirming sound she heard from just behind her. She turned around and saw Fox, his ears fallen on the side of his head, red flushed across his muzzle, and his hands behind his back, trying to hold his flicking tail. "Fox…? Is something wrong?"

"Uh…um, no! Nothing's wrong! I…I'm totally fine!"

"Oh…alright," the vixen gave a sympathetic smile and began walking again.

Fox smacked himself across the forehead and grunted. "Ugh! What's wrong with me? Man, if Falco saw what I just did…hell, even _Slippy _would have the right to laugh at me!" For a few moments, he hung his head down, looking at the floor in shame, when Krystal cried out,

"Fox!"

"Huh?" he had to accelerate; in his embarrassed stumbles, the vixen had gone a bit ahead of him. Following her clear voice, he swerved a corner at met her at the site of a large, half-opened door. "What is it, Krystal? Did you find something?"

"Well…sort of," she said in a bashful way as she held the door. "Come on, I want you to look at this."

The vixen pushed the door open so that both of them could see the insides before they even went in. Their ears, eyes and mouths all drooped.

In the core of this new room, a giant bangle of transparent glass shards mirrored images of wide spaces, shelled with runic walls and a polished floor. At the edge, an array of windows lined up against each other to allow the bewildering beauties of space, the dark depths that left the room still and cold, and the scattered silver coronas that shined on every ornamented detail the room had to offer. The blue vixen slowly walked in with quiet awe, but Fox remained still as he comprehended the picture before him.

"It…it's a…"

"It's a ballroom!" said Krystal, with a sense of wonder in her voice.

"Yeah, that's what it looks like," said Fox as he slowly walked in along with the vixen, "I guess Slippy was right—this _must _be a leisure ship, and a high-class one at that. Man, all this snobby stuff…it's kinda making me sick…"

"Wow, just look at this place!" the vixen, her delight obvious as she laughed like a curious child, said as she ran in the center of the room, right below the chandelier's eerie glow. Fox was entering the ballroom with caution when the sight of Krystal twirling in the light, her eyes shimmering against the glass and her fluffy tail, swishing alongside of her, immediately jerked his vision directly at her. Suddenly, without either of them realizing it, she commanded him to focus on her and only her, and she summoned a large wave of his blood to come rushing to his face. The vixen asked the fox, "Isn't it beautiful?" without being aware of the spell she was casting on him.

"Uh…yeah, it's…beautiful…" Fox managed to reply in his trance-like state, his ears sagging down and his face flustered. As soon as he was able to break free, he looked at the floor with embarrassment and clenched his fist. "Ugh! Snap out of it!" he scolded himself. "I've never had this problem before. Control has never been an issue with girls in the past, now I can't even help wagging my tail like a kit!" He looked up again and saw Krystal was exploring the rest of the room herself. "She's so beautiful…and I'm all alone with her! There's no way anyone is on this ship, otherwise we would've found them already! And if they're dead, it's not like we can do anything for them now. But this could be my best chance before we go back to Corneria, and I have to make good on it! Otherwise, I won't be able to forgive myself…" With a newfound sense of resolve and a look of confidence, Fox began to approach Krystal as she called him again.

"Fox?" Krystal said from a distance with concern.

"Oh! Uh…uh, yeah? What is it?"

"Are you okay over there?"

"Yeah…yeah, I'm okay…"

The vixen giggled softly. "Are you sure? Maybe you'd feel better if you stood next to me."

Fox's ears twitched with nervousness. "Well, uh…okay…" as he walked across the shining floor, trying to be as cool as possible, he mentally punished himself again, "Come on! Stop acting like an idiot! You were fine up until now! It's just that…when she speaks directly to me, I…"

"Fox?"

"Uh…sorry!" he blurted out as he rushed to where she was, standing and smiling sweetly. "Here I am!"

Krystal responded with a sweet smile, a gentle laugh barely in her breath. "Look," she said softly as she faced forward. Instructed by the motion of her head as it turned, the fox looked out one of the windows that partly encircled the room. On the outside, stars swarmed across the unknowing black, forming clusters of blue that streamed across the universe. "With all that's happened, I never realized how incredible it looked out there."

"Oh…yeah, that's true," Fox was trying his best to have a tone of serene gravity like Krystal did, while also trying to think of a good way to advance on her without sounding like a pervert. "It sure is a nice night…or, whatever time it's supposed to be back home. We just saved a planet and now with this, my sleeping habits are depleting." The vixen laughed, "Oh, it's funny for _you_, you got all the sleep you could ever need in that crystal. I'm used to being nocturnal but this is ridiculous!"

She laughed again, slightly harder than before. "Well…didn't you have a nice rest…with me?"

"I, uh…" his face blinked with blush, but he tried to rub it out with the humor in the conversation. "Yeah, of course! I already would've dropped dead if not for _that_!" This time, the vixen couldn't help but open her mouth as she laughed, instead of her usual, discrete giggles.

"You're funny," she said.

"Yeah, in addition to the whole mercenary gig, I'm also a comedian…" his voice gave out towards the end of the sentence as he hung his head and thought to himself, "Well, _this _is definitely a new side of me."

"Fox, let me ask you…do you think anybody's here on the ship with us?"

"Honestly? No. I'm sure we would've picked something up if anyone was here. At this point, a dead body or two is the best we can hope for…"

"Oh, Fox…"

"I don't mean to be cynical, but if it were up to me, I…" Fox took a gulp, bracing himself for what he was about to say and the possible reactions he'd get, "I'd still be resting with you on the couch."

"R-really?" the vixen faced him directly, not even attempting to hide her embarrassment. She practically displayed it to him, so he'd know, and this actually made him feel better.

"We're like a pair of kits, just figuring these feelings out. It's kind of silly, now that I think about it," the vulpine thought, coming to a sort of enlightenment before he spoke again. "Yeah…really."

"Well…the truth is, this ship _is _interesting. In fact, I remember seeing enormous ships just like this one when I was a little girl. I've always wanted to go out, to experience as much of this big universe as I could, even if it was for a little while. The way my home world worked…one only had enough time to do such things if they were exceedingly wealthy. Space travel was mostly used for enjoyment, or else the ships would go to some remote part of space to meditate. Primarily we were all encouraged to stay on the ground, to learn the ways of our own planet. We believed ourselves to be very spiritual, and I guess we were, but I always thought…part of being spiritual was being aware that there was so much more around you, even if you can't exactly know it all. Cerinians understood the spirit of their own world, but I always thought there was more to that…"

"I think you're right, Krystal," said Fox, smiling joyfully and patting his chest, "I'm proof."

"Yes, and I'm glad to have found you. I never expected to make much of my desire to explore until my planet was destroyed. The circumstances were terrible, and the whole experience certainly wasn't a joyride, but now, looking back on it…I feel wiser and stronger than I ever would've been if I spent my life back home. I know much of what's out there, good and bad, and while I miss my world, my planet and all my old friends terribly, at least…some good was able to come out of it."

"Wow, how long were you waiting to let all that out?"

"Heh, I'm sorry…"

"No, it's fine. I kind of feel the same way. I probably would've become a soldier in the Cornerian military if Andross hadn't killed my father."

"An…dross?"

"Oh, you know that floating head that trapped you, called himself the Krazoa God? That was him. Mad scientist that came back to life—you know, nothing special."

"I see. I think I might have heard of him before…"

"Not surprising. But after I learned that he was the cause of my father's death, I knew I had no choice but to follow in his footsteps and become a mercenary like him, and that's opened a lot of doors for me. I would've missed out on so many experiences if I stayed in the path I was going. It's not like I'm happy my father died, of course not, in fact I was pretty messed up when I first got the news, so I know how it feels at first, you don't have to explain that to me. But my friends were able to comfort me, and they eventually became my partners in achieving my goal. I avenged my father, saved my home, and seen a lot. I'm just saying that, if you look hard enough, good things can come out of the worst situations."

"I see. That makes sense…oh, I didn't say this before, but I am sorry about having lost what family you had. I don't think anyone deserves to lose that."

"That's alright, it's in the past, and I've learned not to dwell on it. Besides, if these things hadn't happened, I wouldn't have met you."

The vixen grinned. "You know I probably would've been scolded if I did at home something like what I did with you earlier? I guess I've become more aware of my feelings, too."

"Is that so?" Fox knew what he wanted to say; he had been curious about it for a while, but he knew it would be a dare. Things had been going smoothly so far, so he hoped she was comfortable enough to answer amicably. He bit his lip (or as much of a lip as a fox could have), took a deep breath, and let his words flow out. "Krystal, have you…ever been in a relationship before?"

"W…what?"

"I, um…you don't have to answer if you don't want to, but it seems like with all your traveling, looking so hard for answers and stuff, I wonder…have you ever thought about that sort of thing?"

"Well, I…" the vixen looked around the dark and empty room, stared onto the glazed nebula, then back at the fox that stood close to her, though avoided eye contact. Her heartbeats were fluttering, and her stomach was churning and twisting, but she was able to cling to some of the easiness she had a moment ago to blurt out an honest answer. "No, I've never had any romantic involvements…that _is _what you meant, right?"

"Yeah, but…"

"I mean, I might've had a fling or two, but nothing that goes beyond childish infatuations. I guess I never really thought about it, and when I was out on my own I quickly realized the universe isn't exactly full of friendly people, let alone anyone I might want to settle down with. That was another problem…back home, we were always taught to stick with our own kind. They say soiling the blood has only led to tragedy, so…"

"I understand, Krystal, it's alright."

"What about you, Fox? Have you ever…I mean, I'm sure you have, but…"

"I just remembered, I think she's younger than me," Fox thought, "which kind of makes it strange, how such a young thing is driving me crazy like this." The way the blue vixen looked, wide-eyed and flustered, gave him a strange sense of confidence. "Yeah, I have been involved in the past. Never anything really serious; I haven't thought much of it before."

"So you've never thought about raising a family or anything?"

"I figured I'd do it eventually, and I still plan to, but first off, I guess I've always thought of it as something for…older people."

"I hope this doesn't sound rude, but…that kind of sounds like something Falco would say."

Fox looked straight at her for a second, then laughed and looked out the window. "Yeah, it does! Even after he left the team, his influence has rubbed off on me."

"What you said makes sense, though. You're still young; you should enjoy life. And being a mercenary I imagine you've, um…traveled a lot."

"Hey, I don't like the way you said that! As I recall, you've been around yourself, too!"

"Not as a mercenary! They're the sailors of space!"

"But you're one of us, now! Remember?"

"Oh! I…"

Another second and the two foxes broke out in laughter, in spite of their awkward behavior.

"Alright, alright, you may have a point. The truth is I have…been around. Like I said, it's just a handful of flings; nothing special. I never gave much thought to our feelings or considered a future with those girls. The closest I ever had to something serious…was with another pilot."

"Only one of your girlfriends was a fellow pilot?"

"It's basically a male-dominated field, but she was really something. Her name was Fara Phoenix, and we were together for quite some time…"

"You miss this girl?"

"Nah, it's just a little sad how she put in so much effort into our relationship, but it just didn't work out. Frankly, she was too controlling for my taste. After that, I didn't think I'd ever want to be with another female pilot."

"Oh…"

Fox noticed the vixen seemed upset by what he said, and he smirked. "But that's not fair. I thought it over and I think I'd like to be with a girl that can fly after all…"

Krystal scooted to his side with a sideways step and looked at the floor. "Are you _sure _you don't miss this Fara girl? It seems like…she might've been your first love, and you don't forget first loves…" Fox gave her a sly look, and she blushed. "N-not that I really know! It's just what I've been told…"

"Heheh, it's all right, that's what I've been told too. But I guess we're both at a loss, because while I appreciated her company, and I liked the fact that we were both serious pilots, I didn't love Fara. Love is supposed to be a complex thing, but you can tell when it's not there, and I know I didn't love her."

"Well…alright then, if you say so."

"She always wanted to do things her way. You'd think that would be another common interest, but…it just didn't click. And she was kind of uptight, too. She was the daughter of an official, so it never seemed like I was good enough for her."

"I understand…"

"That and her head was kinda big."

"Oh, Fox! Really now!"

"Heh, I'm sorry! I—whoa!" In a second, Fox's eyes and blood came bulging out his face in reaction to the soft, limber blue arms that came wrapping themselves around his torso. He looked down with wide eyes to see Krystal had buried her face in his chest, and she was grasping onto the back of his jacket as if for dear life. The vulpine could feel her hard and fast breathing, and he could tell she was approaching the point of crying.

"Fox…you don't know…what this means to me," she said as clearly as she could. "I'm so lucky that you found me. I don't know…I just don't think I could've handled being alone for much longer. I just…please don't leave…please."

"Krystal, I…" Fox suddenly felt ashamed, acting so lighthearted while she had been admiring and appreciating his company ever since she came on the Great Fox. "I have to treat her better," he thought, "She's been by herself with no one to look after her…poor thing. She acts so proud and wise on her journey to find answers, but she's just like the rest of us. Living the way she did for so long…I'll bet she's broken down many times, but that's going to end…" Fox rested his head over her shoulder when he saw his armlet flashing as the limb it was attached to it was about to secure the vixen's back. "Shoot, someone's trying to contact me." He partly wanted to answer the call, but another look a t the vixen he cradled and he figured it couldn't be anything that important. The mission was a bust, anyway. He outreached his other arm and turned off the communications the armlet allowed, and then fastened both of them around Krystal. "It's okay," he said, "It's okay…I've got you. You don't have to deal with it alone anymore. From now on, I'll be right here with you."

The mysteries of the Salvation rested, this ship delving in darkness as the one light of the embrace secluded itself in a deep, cleansing warmth.


	8. The Color of Spirits

"Come on! Come on!" Slippy said in frustration as he pressed the buttons over and over on his armlet, to the point where it looked like he was beating it. "Why can't I get a connection with Fox? It was working just fine when we got here…and it's never malfunctioned before…"

"Who are you talking to, Mister Stowaway?" Myst disrupted her own dance around the large room, basking with what felt like solar light, to ask the question to the amphibian.

"Oh, uh…nothing, myself I guess, heheh," he replied, partly surprised to see the girl, still in her ghost outfit, peeking over his shoulder. "By the way, if you care to know, my name is Slippy."

"You're very strange to be talking to yourself, Mister Slippy!" the girl exclaimed cheerfully, as usual.

"I've been told that plenty of times before; it doesn't bother me anymore." Slippy stuck out his long tongue at her, making her huff, as if pretending to be insulted. As she occupied herself with the glistening surroundings again, the toad focused on his armlet again. He scratched his head, around his signature hat, when a thought popped in. "Ah! I know why I can't get through! Fox turned his off!" The thought immediately made him grumble and stamp his foot. "That pervert! He turned it off on purpose to be alone with Krystal! What a jerk! He absolutely couldn't keep his hands to himself for, what, just an hour!?"

"Mister Slippy?" Myst squeaked, "Are you _sure _you're okay?"

"I'm fine, don't worry about it. Just a friend who's more concerned about getting tail than discovering a ship, which could have tons of priceless artifacts and breakthroughs…" Slippy looked up and noticed Myst was tilting her head in confusion, and he realized what he said probably wouldn't make much sense to a little girl who is unaware of her ship's condition. "Sorry, I'm just rambling…"

"Okay! If you're done talking to yourself, then come with me!"

"Alright…" Picking his stubby feet up, he followed the ghost girl's trail of skipping and laughter, across the room's floor, which was perfectly woven with flowing grass, each blade endowed with sleek bright green with assistance of the dew that coated them. Silvery rocks fell along the slants of the floor, which formed a wide hill that surmounted the girth of a colossal tree. The very tip of the last emerald leaf brushed against the ceiling that appeared to produce its own brand of golden, healthy light, and its roots, as thick as sewer pipes, emerged themselves through the ground, outreaching to parts unseen. The roots revealed themselves in unearthed bumps, and it would take an effort for a shorter person, such as Slippy, to get over them, so he just walked around any such obstacles. Still a good distance ahead of him, Myst was dancing about the tree as if in ritual that praised its organic glory.

"Come on! Come here!" she shouted over to him.

"I'm coming! Hold on a sec!" he said as he pushed himself further up the hill. Upon closer look, the wrinkles and crevices in the tree were deep and in great numbers. He looked up, and while he noticed a large spiral sun symbol imprinted on the tree's front, as if someone carved it in for everyone to see, he was overwhelmed by its sheer size as it effortlessly towered over him. "Wow, it looks even bigger up close! It kind of looks like…one of those beautiful trees that used to be all over Venom before Andross took over and ruined it…" He caught his breath and wiggled his webbed fingers, not sure if he should even dare to touch it; for some reason he felt like it would start talking and attacking him with the great forces of nature if he did so much as breath on it. He outreached one hand towards it, well aware that it was shaking as it drew ever closer. The concentration built on top of him as he squint his eyes and bit his lip. The imminent tingle of contact became so highly anticipated, he could almost imagine what it would feel like. His fingers were just a hair's space away from the trunk when…

"Boo!"

"Waaahh!" Slippy yelped and fell to the floor, frazzled and confused as he lay on the grassy knoll and seeing the girl in the ghost costume right in front of him.

"Wow, you really _do _scare easily!" she said happily.

"Oh, that was mature," pouted Slippy. He got up and examined the tree with a more observant sense about him. "So why is there a giant tree in here, anyway?"

The girl's smile faded as her head titled in confusion. "What do you mean? Why _wouldn't _it be here?"

"Well, uh…I figured this where the engine would be…or some kind of generator? You know…something to power the ship?"

"I understand that, but…"

"But what?"

"This _is _what controls the ship!"

The toad's eyes and moth practically dropped to the floor. "_What_!? How is that possible!?"

"Come here, I'll show you!" Myst perked up as she instructively walked up to the tree's immense trunk. The toad watched with awe as ribbons of blue light came flowing from out of the emblem on the tree's center, traveling through each crevice and wrapping themselves around the roots. As the great plant became a beacon for the entire room, simultaneously the runes around the walls also began to glow, with that same blue color.

"W-what's going on?" the amphibian squealed, "Why is everything…_glowing_!?"

"I'm giving the ship life!" she said as she continued to cling to the bark like a loved one, "The tree feeds on the power of spirits, so whenever it comes in contact with something with a soul, it becomes stronger and healthier, and with that strength we are able to go wherever we want. We can finally go to a place where we'll be safe…"

Slippy struggled to do so much as muster a complete sentence, the shock piling on him like a heavy burden. "But…what, it…then what are those strange symbols all over the ship for?"

"They carry the energy from the tree to every room,"

"So…those weird signs are some sort of bionic code that transfers energy…throughout the ship? And the tree…this tree…is the core?"

"That's right,"

"So…the ship…your technology…is _alive_!?" the amphibian backed away, shivering. Suddenly this placid scene became a lot more unbelievable and frightening, especially since he had always been a toad of logic.

"Don't be afraid," Myst said, her perky voice now more soothing, "There's no reason to be scared. Come here, embrace it with me."

Still in doubts, but oblivious to how he could escape the eerie situation, Slippy reluctantly followed the girl's calm orders and once again approached the tree. His limbs shaking with nervousness, he eventually squirmed himself into a hugging position and leaned against the tree. After flinching a few times, his short green arms reached as far as they could around the trunk, the deep crevices against his slimy skin. As soon as he was able to accept it, he could feel an inviting, tingling warmth resonating from the light. Past the denial and shock, he realized the lights on the wall were very warm, too. He sunk into the embrace as if the tree were someone very close to him. The warmth soon became more comfortable, friendlier, and the tree itself reached out to the amphibian, pushing him into itself, enveloping him in its affection and not wanting to let go. "Man, Fox is missing out. Maybe I should try to reach him again…or I could call one of the other guys. This is just amazing…I should…tell somebody…" As soon as he was able to tighten his grip, Slippy could feel his arms loosen, the tree sucking him in, stealing his energy, but he didn't seem to care. He just leaned forward and enjoyed the warmth while he grew weaker and wearier…

"You see?" said Myst, "Everything's going to be alright. As long as we have hope in our hearts…as long as we allow our souls to live, the tree will be strong enough to take us to the promise land. We're going to be fine…The council is wrong, we're going to live!"

"Is that why…the ships is called 'the Salvation'?"

"That's right. Soon, we'll escape the tragedy of our planet and arrive in our new home, just like the prophecy says."

"Hmm…where are you going? What's this promise land?"

"Our fellow planet, the one we made a pact with a long time ago…it's called Corneria, we'll be there very soon."

"Hmm…that's nice…wait…_what!?_" the very word of his home planet, and it being mentioned in such a cryptic place, pulled him right out of the trance he was in. He pushed himself off the trunk, entangled roots and branches ripped apart as he yanked himself from their grasp. "What did you say? Who are you?"

"Oh? That's right…I still have my costume on, don't I?" the girl still spoke softly as she inched away from the tree, allowing herself to unravel the sheets and pull them over her head. And there a panda girl stood, smiling as if nothing was wrong, unaware of the look of surprise on the toad's face.

"That…can't be…how?" Slippy saw the same thing that Falco did. With the energy of the tree carried out by the runes, the room which he was in lit up, allowing him to see perfectly the girl that was in front of him—a female panda, no older than thirteen, with light blue fur around most of her body, a head of cerulean-colored hair, tied up neatly into two buns, and patches of dark blue fur over her eyes and ears.

"I don't believe it!" the avian exclaimed, "Are you…really…?"

"My name is Skye," said the panda girl, trying to be firm in the great discomfort of the situation, "and I'm a Cerinian."

Didn't see that coming did you?


	9. Origins

The large circular light in the far end of the room, isolated in darkness, warm with its own aura of affection, first separated into two smaller lights, and then diminished in the new light that surfaced. It seemed colder, but ended the need for the foxes' lanterns. As their own lights dimmed and finally faded into nothingness, Krystal slowly lifted her head and looked up at Fox.

"Feeling better now?" he asked in a friendly tone.

"Y-yes, I...I'm sorry about what I just did. It's just that..."

"Hey, don't...you don't have to worry about it," though he was trying his best to be calm and securing, the vulpine couldn't hide his scatterbrained fluster. The fact that she took comfort in him just sunk in, and even more embarrassing, she was continuing to be _physical _about it. She wouldn't keep making these situations that allowed her to touch him unless she really liked him, right? He squirmed as if this was the first time a female ever came in such close contact with him, even though it certainly wasn't. Backing away a little, he rubbed the back of his head with his hand and laughed in spite of his embarrassment. "You're part of the team now! And that means we're friends...or, at least that's what I'd _like _it to mean."

"Well, you don't have to doubt that, Fox. We most certainly are friends. Even if I wanted to keep going on my own, I...would still want to be friends with you and your teammates. I know we haven't all known each other for more than a day, but I can tell you're all very good people, and I'm very happy to have met you."

"That's something, at least," Fox thought to himself, "She seems so innocent...I wonder if she even knows why I asked her if she was ever in an intimate relationship before. I wonder if us being _more _than just friends has even crossed her mind. But...hey, lots of good couples start out as being friends first, so..."

"The lights are on—that means Slippy must've found the power source, right?" the vixen asked, knocking the vulpine out of his romantic contemplation.

"Oh! Uh...yeah, that's right. He must've. Well, if there's anything worth seeing here, at least it'll be easier to find. We should keep moving."

"Alright," and with that, the two foxes left the spacious room and continued forward to the end of the ship.

Back in the upper floor, Falco rubbed his eyes so hard he almost pushed them deep into their sockets. His vision perfectly clear, the room of books and shelves he was in was completely lit up, and he could see the runes in the back were glowing with light blue radiance. Despite his disbelief and the thought that maybe he was delusional all proved false as the blue-furred panda girl still stood before him.

"If you don't mind me asking, sir," said Skye in a polite tone, refusing to be anything but chaotic in light of an increasingly tense situation. "Why are you here, seeing that you're clearly not a Cerinian? Are you lost? Has your ship broken down?"

"I thought...we figured that's what happened to _you_," the avian respond, slowly regaining his cool demeanor. "You seem like someone who'll actually listen. I'm a mercenary; my team and I found your ship way out here and came to investigate. You're in the middle of nowhere, with little to no power, yet everyone here is totally fine with that?"

"We are...resting. And besides, on such a long journey, we were bound to have to cross uncertain places."

"Journey? You mean...you do _know_ your planet was destroyed?"

"Yes, we do, that's why we're here. Lady Sappho was a powerful priestess back on our home. She foresaw the destruction of the planet, and summoned as many of us as she could to her ship, in which we were able to narrowly escape the blast."

"She _knew _Cerinia was going to be destroyed? What happened?"

Below the main floor and through the winding hallways, at the Salvation's organic core, Slippy was struggling to control his shaking. He was shocked beyond all his reason at the very sight of that blue fur, the shade that was all too familiar.

"Whew! Thank you for snapping me out of that daze," said Myst with a refreshed, cheerful attitude. "I almost forgot prolonged exposure to the tree can have some weird side effects; that's why no one is normally allowed to come in close contact with it, but hey! Rules were meant to be broken, and I had to go exploring. I mean, I wouldn't have found Slippy the Stowaway if I hadn't!"

Slippy still stood there, still as a statue, his unblinking eyes wide open and his mouth reverberating. "C-C-C-C-C-C-C-Cerini...?" was all he could force out.

"Um...yeah, I'm Cerinian; everyone in this ship is. So what?"

"But that's impossible!" he yelped. "How can you be Cerinian? Krystal said she was the only one left!"

"Krystal, huh?" Myst said as she pondered for a second, "Nope, don't know anyone with that name. Wait...wait, um...I think...maybe one of the council members had a relative name named Krystal, maybe even a daughter. But it's a pretty popular name back home." Myst seemed to grow upset all of a sudden with the sound of her own words. "Or at least it _was_..."

"B-b-but she said...it was destroyed. How are you still..._what _council?"

"Well, your friend was right; our home is gone. Lady Sappho, the owner of this ship, said it was an act of God, but she was able to round up a lot of us in the ship, and we averted Cerinia's destruction."

"B-but...I don't..."

"A bisect of Cerinia's Grand Council came with us, but they don't pay much attention to the rest of the passengers. They don't think we were meant to escape our 'imminent doom'. There are stories about us and another planet, but because they never came to our rescue, they believe that we're destined to die with our planet, no matter how much we run. I can't say I believe them, or at least I really don't want to, but we were all taught these prophecies at young ages, as if they're all true." Slippy couldn't give a response. "But, it's survival of the fittest! We've come this far, and we'll do whatever it takes to survive! So it's all right!"

After taking the girl's words all in, the amphibian took a deep breath and collected his sense before he spoke in clear sentences again. "I'm sorry, but what you're saying doesn't make a lot of sense. I can understand if Krystal was wrong and there are more survivors than just her, but...I mean, even if there is a god, why would he destroy an entire planet? Why would anyone think they _have _to die?"

"Because it's...all part of the pact."

"A pact? What pact?" asked Falco, as he was being given a similar lecture from his corresponding panda girl.

Skye swallowed as she prepared her explanation in her blue head. "A long time ago...God made two very special planets out of the chaos that made up the new universe. He loved the two planets so much that he gave them each their own gifts. One of them was blessed with a powerful aura, which gave them an immense spiritual power. The other world became heavy with natural resources, which would lead them to great industrial and technological strength."

Myst accordingly spoke of the same story, as if she and her sister were connected by more than just blood, "Over the millennia, God created beings in his own image and sent them to inhibit his two worlds to harvest their respected gifts. These beings are just called the Progenitors. Half of them were sent to one planet, half went to the other. The Progenitors that went to the resourceful world evolved into a vigorous population that would result in a knowledge and understanding of the outside worlds, while the other half on the other planet remained secluded, untainted from strangers, making its aura more powerful."

"She mentioned Corneria earlier," the toad thought to himself as he continued to listen, "Did I hear her wrong? With the exception of some monsters, bandits and unorganized mercenaries, Corneria is the only livable planet in the Lylat System...and even so, it's where we were all born. Could she really be talking about my home?"

"However," stated Skye, "knowing the universe was intentionally imperfect, and that conflict could occur at any time, the Progenitors made a pact with each other before they divided. If one world were to fall victim to disaster, the other planet would either come to their aid or be destroyed with it. That is the pact we made with Corneria a long time ago, but we never thought it would actually happen. But we have become so reclusive...God was angered by our selfishness, and so..."

Falco did not say anything at first, knowing the Skye had finished her story. He had his wings folded across his chest, his head facing down and his eyes closed. "That is..." The panda girl tensed as she waited for the falcon's response. "...the biggest load of shit I ever heard!

Skye gasped and backed away from the hurtful bird, looking as if she would start crying any minute.

"I mean, come on! That's just a fairy tale, isn't it?"

"I...well...no. It was only made to ensure each other's safety, but as time passed on, we forgot the value it held. With every passing generation, we thought less of its value and truthfulness."

"Look, just because something bad happens to you, doesn't mean it's divine intervention. I know your planet being destroyed is a big loss, I'm not going to pretend I understand the pain you must've gone through, and I'm definitely not what you would call 'spiritual', but even if there is a god, you can't blame him for the bad things that happen. You'll never get anywhere by blaming things on others, whether they exist or not."

"...You're a Cornerian, are you not?"

"Yeah, I am,"

"I think...you coming here is of significance, whether you believe me or not."

"Hey, that's great. Look, I am here to help you, but that doesn't mean I have to believe your little stories and prophecies."

"But...but..." Falco took a closer look at Skye and was shocked to see her eyes were jiggling like bowls of gelatin, and she bit her lip as they quivered. As she continued to shake all over, her grip on calmness weakening, she opened her eyes that glared with frustrated anger. "Why didn't you come for us sooner!?" she yelled.

"Wha...?"

"You were supposed to come for us before Cerinia was destroyed! You were supposed to help us when we need you the most!"

"How the hell were we supposed to know!? You said yourself your planet was isolated! How could _anyone _have known!? It's your own fault!"

"You were supposed to know!" the girl's voice scratched as the fists were clenched and her eyes became red and watery. "If you had done what you were supposed to, my parents would still be alive! And so many others...how could you let them all die!? It's all your fault!"

"Kid..." Falco softened his nerves and approached the panda girl as she fell apart onto the floor, soaking in a pool of tears.

"It's all your fault they died...the council thinks we have to die because of you..." choking back the tears and swallowing back her pride broke spaces into her words. "And when the last Cerinian will also be destroyed...and you're to blame...it's all your fault..."

"Just shut up, kid," Falco said softly as he bent down and rubbed Skye's soft blue-furred head. "It's gonna be okay."

"So according to your story, Corneria and Cerinia are related and bound to each other by this agreement they had when they were first created?" said Slippy inquisitively as he approached the panda girl, regaining a sense of casualness. He was able to calm himself down since the girl seemed so understanding even in the midst of her controversial story.

"That's right," she replied.

"You know, I can't say I really believe it."

"I understand; your planet is the logical one, after all. I'm not surprised they've forgotten it entirely."

"It's still interesting though...hey, I wonder if Peppy knows anything about this. I remember a few hours ago he told us about the two planets sharing common ancestors—it could be the Progenitors you were talking about."

"Peppy? Who's he, one of your fellow pirates?" Myst giggled.

"Humph. It figures my whole talk about pirates and stuff comes back to bite me in the...er, well, anyway, Peppy's a friend of mine. He's back in our ship and history and researching stuff is one of his specialties. If anyone can figure this whole thing out, he can. In fact, I should probably inform the others about this, too; I'm not even sure they know there are living passengers here yet. If Fox hasn't turned his COM link back on, I can always contact Krystal. I'm sure he'll be mad at me, but this is too important to wait."

"How many of you guys are there, anyway?"

"Oh! Well, we're called Star Fox; we're a pretty famous band of mercenaries where we're from."

"I see. This Krystal girl...you said she was a Cerinian, but are the others Cornerian?"

"Yeah, we just rescued her a couple of hours ago, actually, so it's strange the way things have worked out like this."

"Uh-huh...you know, even though Lady Sappho managed to save a lot of us, it's only a fraction of Cerinia's whole population. And there was so much chaos...my sister and I got separated from our parents, but we were carried off to the ship."

"Oh...um...I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I'm still sad of course, and Skye is still pretty stressed out about it, even though she tries to act so collected, but...hearing that there are other survivors, like this friend of yours, it gives me comfort. Maybe...our parents are still alive there, too, out looking for us."

"I wouldn't get your hopes up, but it's possible...after seeing the way your ship works, I guess anything is possible."

"Honestly, I would have liked it if you...or someone had come to save us before the blast, so everything wouldn't be so crazy, but knowing there are others...is a big relief to me."

"That's good. Don't worry; now that we know there are people on the ship, my team and I will help you out as much as we can."

"Thank you..." and the two of them looked up at the tree, the branches looking as if they were floating, its foliage glimmering, the entire room looking as if it were rising to a higher plane of existence, and they could only watch. Still partly in its spell, they were at ease just with the sight of it.


	10. Misery Loves Company

"So this is it, this is as far as it goes," said Fox as soon as he saw the final wall in front of him, signifying the end of the bottom floor of the Salvation. The structure of the room was somewhat curved, in response to the ship's shape, and was probably one of the smaller rooms (although that isn't saying much since much of the rooms were very large). The walls here, unlike all the others, were bare of pillars, arches, or any of the familiar, but still mystifying designs. Instead they leaked with glimmering rivers of clear blue light, all emanating from a strange apparatus at the center of the room, which resembled a very small dead tree, its naked branches entwining over a large glyph. With its lustrous shine, it almost seemed like it was trying to escape its harsh, spiky clutches.

"And still no sight of any passengers..." said Krystal with a disheartened sigh.

"Hey, there was nothing we could do," said Fox with his hand on her shoulder. "Whoever was on this ship...probably died a long time ago," It was clear this answer didn't do much to console the vixen, "Err, um...I mean, they were probably all rescued already! No point in getting all worried—"

"Fox, it's fine" said Krystal. "I guess, in this line of work, you have to accept not all missions go successfully. I'll try to remember that."

"Aw...Krys, don't be like that."

"Seriously, Fox, it's no big deal," the vixen pulled off a fake smile, "but actually there's something I've been meaning to tell you. Something's been bothering me ever since we found this ship..."

"You don't have to tell me it's creepy—I already knew that."

Krystal gave a light laugh. "No, it's...something else."

"Oh...yeah? What is it?"

"Well..." She was about to speak, when her voice gave out at the sound of a sharp, cracking noise. The two foxes twisted their waists to see the glyph entrapped in the apparatus was glowing. The light extracted itself from the sphere in which it came, slivered past the roots and spread out through the slits in the walls, enhancing the light of the room tenfold.

"What the—what's going on!?" exclaimed Fox, watching helplessly as the streams of light in the room throbbed with such power that one could practically hear every particle breathing. The vulpine barely had the mind to squeeze back at the blue vixen clinging on to him as he watched in terror the eerie photons of azure blue crossing all over the room, until they finally leapt up from off the walls and engulfed every piece of empty space and everything contained in it.

The Great Fox had remained silent ever since the bulk of the team left. Peppy had been studying the sample of stone Fox had sent him most of the time, and ROB hadn't made any new reports since the first one when the unofficial mission started. With careful examinations and thorough scanning, the elderly hare was only able to confirm that it was an alien substance that was very durable. It was possible that this was a new element; although he would need a real laboratory to see if that was certain. With its great strength, it was clear to him this material could stand the test of time, so aside from the factor of the power, it was possible the Salvation had been wandering in space for many years. Sitting quietly and rubbing his forehead, fatigued by the late hour and all the time he spent studying, his heart pounced on the edge of his ribcage at the sight Slippy's face popping from his COM link. The amphibian's squeaky voice did not do much to ease him, either.

"Oh! For the love of...What is it, Slippy!?" Peppy bellowed, clutching his heart.

"Someone's cranky," smirked the toad, "I found the control room...so to speak, and I found a passenger, too, alive and well."

"You did!? Slippy, that's wonderful!"

"Yeah, well...the thing about that is..."

"What is it? Is there something wrong?"

"Not..._necessarily_. You noticed the ship was strange looking, right?"

"Well yes, it doesn't look like any design I've seen in the Lylat System, but what's the problem with that?"

"See..." and Slippy began to explain the whole thing, from the glowing symbols on the wall to the tree at the source, the race of the people who made the ship and their relation to Corneria.

"I...I don't believe it," said a bewildered Peppy.

"Believe me; I'm having trouble thinking it's real, too," said the amphibian, "Talk about a strange twist of fate. But it's all here, it's all real."

"But this contradicts so many things! I mean, if you say we were separated shortly after we were first _created_, that would be too long ago, and we would have evolved into different beings altogether by now."

Slippy turned his head and looked at Myst. "He's got a point, you know,"

"Well, our records of the story only date back a millennia," she answered, "but it doesn't really say what was before that. Your friend seems to believe we all evolved from primitive organisms, and that might still be true. Before we moved to our respective planets, we might have all lived together on one land, and then, for some reason, we split and moved away from each other. Cross-breeding is highly looked down upon in Cerinia, but from what I've heard, we are still very closely related to the Cornerians and are able to, um, 'mix'."

"Oh. Well, there you go," said Slippy with content, "You sure are knowledgeable about all this."

Myst blushed "Heheh, well, it's no big deal. I was practically spoon-fed all this stuff."

"It's still...wow, this is really...well, it's really something! I can hardly imagine the shock the others will have, especially Krystal. She said she was the only one left; she's certainly in for a pleasant surprise!"

"That's right!" the toad said, happily, "I'm going to tell the other guys right now! Can you see if you can look up some more about all this?"

"I never would've guessed we'd have a relation with another planet like this. I imagine it'll take some work, but I'll see what I can find."

"Alright, thank you! Slippy out!" and the toad's image phased out. Peppy put aside his work on the strange stone and started researching on Cerinia. He wasn't going to find much more about the strange material, anyway.

"Okay, okay, just...stop crying now," said Falco uneasily as the panda girl still sobbed in the library.

"I hate you!" she blurted out, almost violently, "I hate you all! Why did you forget us!?"

"Hey, try using some common sense!" he scolded, "How could we have possible known your planet was going to be destroyed!? If anything, it's your own fault for always keeping to yourself!" Skye only answered with more moans and tears that stained her blue fur. "Oh man...I am _not _good with kids..."

The girl sniffed up some excess phlegm and swallowed. "This wasn't supposed to happen...you were just supposed to know, to be there. But we all forgot, we didn't realize the value of the stories...the pact was as real as it ever was, but we stopped caring. Now we're paying for it. The council was right...we're not going to make it...we can't do anything anymore."

"I can't believe what she's saying," the bird thought, "Can we really be related to Krystal's planet? I mean...they don't look all that different, and they _do _have a lot of the same species we do, from what I can tell...except, well, they're blue. Is there a chance that...it's true?" Falco looked at the girl, trying to wipe her fur clean while more tears kept coming, and decided he could stop trying to be cool for a minute and be nice to her. "Listen, kid..." she sniffled and looked up at him, "Whatever the reason may be for your planet blowing up on you, and whatever other planets you may have relations or bonds with, all that matters is that you are alive. I know you're just a kid who's gone through a lot and I know you don't deserve this crap you're getting, but it just can't be helped. Cerinia is gone and it's not coming back, so you just need to stop crying about it and get on with your life."

"I...I..." the panda could barely find the nerve to lift her voice.

"Maybe I don't have the right to preach to you, but I have gone through a lot of crap in my life and I know I'm telling you the truth. There's no point dwelling on all this stuff. You need to forget about what's done and can't be changed and just go on with your life. The will to live is the most important thing you can have, and as long as you still got that, you'll be fine."

With one final stare in her helpless form, Skye stood up and wiped the salty residue off her round face.

"Wow, did I just say all that stuff?" said Falco, amazed with himself, "Man, that is _not _my style. I hope you remember what I said, kid, cuz' I'm not saying it again."

"No, it's all right...I understand," she said with a sense of enlightenment in her voice. "You're right, you're absolutely right. We can't mourn over Cerinia forever, as long as we're alive, that's more than I could ask for. We just need to keep on living and be glad we have that much."

"Yeah, there ya go!"

"I have to...forget what's behind, and focus on what's in front of me,"

"That's right,"

"Well, the power's been turned back on. I guess that means something's happened, but right now I can see..._you're_ in front of me."

Falco slanted his feathery brow. "Uh...yeah. So what?"

"It's just I had assumed you were one of us, maybe a guard assigned to patrol the ship while the rest of us slept. But what I never conceived was..."

He impatiently tapped his foot. "...Where is this going, kid?"

Skye giggled. "Well, now that I can see you perfectly, I can see that...you're kind of cute!"

His talon claws stopped while they were in the air and his eyes gaped down. "Uuuuh..."

Just as the awkwardness of the moment was coming to a peak, a deep rumble unearthed from the floor. It started out as a gentle echo, but with every shake it became louder and more forceful. "What's that?" the avian snapped as he watched his feet shake wildly while he stood perfectly still. Their bones rattled as the ship itself shivered spastically. "What's going on!?"

"I...I don't know! We must be..." The girl's frail voice halted completely as the starlight through the dome clouded with darkness and the sound of bashing, falling objects came flooding across the room.

"Kid? Kid! Where are you!?" Falco shouted, having lost track of the panda as fluttering books came spilling over the room, landing on the floor and on himself. He shielded his head with his arms, but the clashes of paper and wood blocked his vision of anyone else. The bird's voice was shut off from the rest of the ship (which could have been dead and empty for all he knew, because certainly someone with half a brain and average sense of hearing would have woken up and come to their aid already). He gave one final shout with the sight of a shelf leaning towards him. He sprinted for the door, but it was just too large, and the piles of other shelves and books were too tedious an obstacle for him to get away in time.

"Hey! Someone! Somebody out there! We need hel—!"

A large crash shuttered the tiles of the floor.

"What...just happened?" said Fox wearily, his vision just becoming clear again. When he came to, he saw that he was lying down, and that Krystal was, once again, on top of him. Unfortunately for him, he couldn't take as much pleasure this time because his body was clumped in an uncomfortable position, and he wasn't even sure if the vixen was conscious. "Erm..." the vulpine wiggled as he tried to lift his head up using his face, since his appendages had gone numb. While struggling with little success, he couldn't help notice the texture of the platform he was on. It was thick, shredded, and slightly wet...almost like _grass _(it tasted a lot like grass, too).

"Umph...ugh..." the sound of the vixen brought happiness and relief to the fox, even though they were clearly unhappy.

"Krystal!"

"Wha...? Oh!" Krystal's eyes widened as she swiftly got off Fox and lifted him up by the arm. "I'm so sorry! I had no idea! Are you alright?"

"Yeah—ow...I'm good—ouch...don't worry about it," As they both stood up straight again, the two foxes realized what they had been lying on was, indeed, grass. It rolled out all around them, speckled with rose-like bluish flowers like foam across a wide, green sea. The rippled petals flowed gently on the incense-like breeze that passed through. On a flat sort of hill, the two walked just a few feet to see the earth slope downwards, along with other hills and small bodies of water, crowning a mass of stately buildings at the center, their turrets glinting in the cerulean corona. Even from that long of distance, it was obvious it was a fantastic city, though from the look of the buildings that composed it, it wasn't one of scientific or technological breakthroughs, the kind Fox was used to. The wisps of air carried an overwhelming feel of serenity. Every movement in the valley seemed to give off a crying echo that wrapped around the large blue sun which beamed on all creation. "So..." said Fox with a frank tone, "Any idea where we are?"

Krystal's eyes grew even wider and her mouth dropped. "It's...I don't believe it,"

Fox was surprised to hear such an answer. "Wait—what!? You honestly _know_ this place? I was just joking!" The vixen fought through her shock to give him a slight nod of the head. Fox looked at Krystal, looked at the city, then looked back at her. It didn't take long for him to get the message. "This is Cerinia, isn't it?"

She nodded again.

"Wow," he said, "I got the impression your planet had been blown from Kingdom Come! How do you suppose we got here?"

"Let's backtrack" began Krystal, "we started out in that strange room on the ship. As soon as we got there and got a feel of the place, that device lit up, the room started to glow, and it took us here. It was definitely surprising, but the whole thing was painless."

"Aside from the landing, yeah,"

"I don't think they would put something in such a ship as some kind of trap. This is...I mean, I'm positive there is nothing left of my home; this must be some kind of illusion."

"Aha! Maybe that funny tree-looking thing was actually some kind of virtual reality simulator."

"As a matter of fact, I was...thinking about Cerinia as we walked into the room, so maybe it sensed my thoughts and produced this vision of it."

"Hmm...never faced technology that could do that, but it could be," Fox then turned to the city and started walking down the steady slope. He could feel the need to explore overtake him, and, after getting a satisfying gaze at the idyllic metropolis, turned back to the vixen before he would start jogging. "Wanna take a stroll down Memory Lane?"

"I..." Krystal clasped her hands together against her heart, as if she were in pain, her eyes wiggling. Fox looked confused.

"Krys? Are you okay?"

"I don't think I can do it," she said, her voice trembling, "It's been such a long time...I can't just go back."

Fox relaxed his shoulders and his ears drooped. "I'm so sorry. I should've known."

"And knowing it's not real...it's just a lie; no matter how much I'd like to be back home again, I'm not any closer to it now than I was when it was destroyed. Even if I did have the nerve to go, it's bound to end, and I'm not sure if I'd be able to take it once it went away again."

"I know you feel strongly about it," said the vulpine as he slowly started to re-approach her. "It's no big deal. We don't have to be here if it hurts too much. I don't care about this illusion if it makes you unhappy."

Krystal was holding back the pain this image unleashed inside of her, when her skeleton nearly hopped out of her fur in reaction to Fox's touch against her face. "!! Um...Fox?" He steadied his hand from her cheek to the side of scalp and, with his fingers, lifted the loose, dark blue strands of hair hanging over her eyes and gently brushed them over her ear. "F—Fox...?"

"If it creates illusions from your mind like you said," he said softly, "then all you have to do is think of something else. I just want you to be happy."

"Fox, I..." the vixen's fluster turned deeper as his muzzle became dangerously close to hers. His eyes half closed but still attentive, his one hand had moved to the back of her skull and the other laid over the small of her back, pulling her in closer. Feelings of sadness and dreaminess twisted inside of her, paralyzing her if she tried to move away. She flinched at the cold sensation of his nose touching hers. He was in all readiness to make the slightest nudge that would bring his mouth to hers when...

"Krystal!" cried Slippy's high-pitched voice.

"AAAAAARRGH!" the vulpine yelped, falling to the ground, utterly stunned.

"Oh! Hello, Slippy," said the startled, and still blushing, vixen.

"Um...is something wrong?"

"No! No, nothing, we're fine..." she said as she swiftly shifted to the side as to cover the fox behind her as he waved his fists and cussed. "Oh, and I noticed you got the power back on. Nice work; you must be very good!"

"Heheh, thank you," said the beaming toad, "but...well, maybe it would help to explain it if I _showed_ you. Give me a second...and brace yourselves."

A heap of books that Peppy always kept stored in the Great Fox piled up all over his studying area at the hull of the ship. The ship's computer had been running nonstop, searching for information, downloading anything that even hinted at the dead planet of Cerinia. The hare could almost feel the red veins growing on his eyeballs. He checked and double-checked every word in his diligent search.

"Let's see..." he said to himself, half reciting what he found, half analyzing the vague descriptions. "The planet of Cerinia is one that has been shrouded in mystery, and will most likely remain so due to its destruction by an unknown force. Its existence only came into knowledge due to a wandering bounty hunter, Tybert Lynch, who reported it to the Cornerian government a century ago. He was noted to have gone back to bring more information in return for a greater reward, but was never heard from afterwards. Assured that he had returned to the mysterious planet, Cornerian ventured there to rescue him, but were shocked to find a force field of unknown energy surrounding the entire planet. The government attempted several negotiations with Cerinia, and all have gone unanswered. From what Mister Lynch described, Cerinia is a strictly rural planet, and its ratio of wilderness to cultivated land is much higher than that of Corneria. Huh...sort of like Venom before the wars.

He stopped, stood up to polish his fogged-up glasses, form which he then proceeded to pace. "Cerinian towns and cities are almost always composed of sanctums and such places of prayer. Knowing this, it is easy to see its government was a theocracy. Although these sanctums were described to be much different from Cornerian churches, the people there are monotheistic like we are. It was also portrayed that Cerinians were much more concerned about spiritual development, meditation and the like rather than improving their economy, which sufficed on food, jewels and clothing trades but is barely comparable to our standards. Cerinians have been spotted on occasion on other planets, but these of which were mainly barren, and anyone who came in close contact with in hopes of conversation were largely disappointed.

"Cerinia's population is about equal to Corneria's, and, based on Lynch's description and several sightings, they have many of the same species. All the denizens, however, have blue fur, feathers, scales and such sometimes mixing with different shades, but always with a sky-colored shade. The planet revolves around a blue sun, which is rumored to be the cause of their outer colors, but scientists already know that is just superstition and proceeded to—ugh! It just goes on like that. There's nothing about their technology or that pact Slippy was talking about."

The hare wiped his paw over his head and through his long ears while letting out a heavy sigh. "Either Corneria has absolutely no records of the kind, or I'm going to have to go back even further...How much can there possibly be?" as he continued to try and relieve his stressed out brain, a spark of light emerged from the back of the Salvation.

"Sensors indicate rapidly increasing levels of energy. Salvation is running at full capacity." stated ROB

Peppy snapped from eased to shock as his head flipped around to face the robot. "What!?"

"Salvation's energy above maximum. Probability of power surge sixty percent, seventy percent..."

"I know the power's back on, but it's not electrical! How can this be happening? What is Slippy do—eeeaaah!" having given much of his attention to ROB, the hare failed to notice the light at the end of the ship had evolved from a faint sparkle to a massive glare as wide and powerful as a small supernova. It swallowed the Salvation whole and catapulted luminous spears in every direction—eventually fading into space, but splurging any nearby forces with the might of its brilliance. While it didn't dent or scratch the Great Fox, it gave it such a forceful shove it knocked the helpless hare inside. "Oh!" he shouted as the force pushed him off his feet and bashed his head onto the edge of the Great Fox's console.

"Peppy, your heartbeat is below normal rate. Are you okay, Peppy? Peppy?" ROB's computes were left unanswered, and so he remained still while the elderly hare lay on the floor of the Great Fox...

"It sure has been a while," said Slippy with concern, "maybe I should contact Peppy again."

"He reminds me of the old scholars and philosophers back at the institutes and research houses." said Myst, "I'll bet he's really studious and doesn't want to be disturbed."

"Yeah, you're probably right...Oh! I almost forgot! I'd better check on Falco and tell him what's going on. He's probably getting the passengers upstairs all angry." The panda laughed, and Slippy was happy that she did so, but her smile soon faded as she saw the toad fidget with his COM link. She didn't know anything about the way the Star Fox team communicated to each other from separate places, but she had observed the process of reaching another team member wasn't supposed to take this long. Then she remembered how Slippy had a very similar face on when he tried to contact Fox, who had his COM link turned off.

"Is something wrong?" she said.

"...He's not responding. Hello? Falco? Are you there? Falco!" His round eyes slanted as he frowned with worry. His voice echoed throughout the library, unheard by the cold bodies inside. Falco's COM link yelped with concern, the blinking light flying out from under the enormous bookshelf, where a blue feathered wrist stuck out, the weight applied onto it too much to give more than one final squirm. "It's working fine, but he's not responding! Falco! Please answer! ...No, nothing! Something must be wrong!"

"You said he was on the top floor, right? Let's get up there and see what's up!"

The amphibian steadily stood up, his back perfectly straight and resolve in his face. "Okay! We'll be sure to meet up with Fox and Krystal along the way! Let's go!"

Myst stood up and smiled at the toad, ensuring him everything was under control. They both ran across the grassy knolls when a violent bump left them flat on their faces.

"Whoa!" they both exclaimed as their heads bonked against the ground.

"What was _that_!?" said Slippy.

"I don't know!" said Myst frantically, "Maybe we bumped into an asteroid...or another ship!"

"I highly doubt it's the first one, but the Great Fox _is _nearby. I guess I'll have to risk bothering Peppy and see what's up." His voice cried through, all the way to where the hare did lye, his head in a small pool of blood. "Peppy! Did the Great Fox accidentally crash into the Salvation or something? I've got a nasty bump...but even worse, I'm not getting any response from Falco!" Slippy waited a few seconds for an answer, maybe Peppy was in deep thought, when in fact he was out cold; his blank eyes, still ears and gaped, motionless mouth implied his knockout was not a pleasant experience. "P-Peppy? Hello? Are you there...? Peppy! Please answer!" Yet again it ended in disappointment. "Oh, come on! What is everyone _doing_!?"

"He's not answering either?"

"No, he's not! I'm really worried now. Neither he nor Falco...this has never happened before. It's like they're not even there!"

"I think the best thing you can do is go meet up with your two remaining friends."

Deep, frightened breaths now broke between the toad's words. "...Yeah...yeah, you're probably right. Are...you coming?"

"I doubt I can be of much more help, but since I know the ship better, then yes, I'll come with you."

And the two of them charged for the exit, the large panel of the double=doors the only thing in heir sight. Slippy ran so fast he crashed into the door, but discarded any pain that came from it and pushed it with all his frustrated strength. He focused any might he had on getting out, but even in this state, it didn't take him long do realize he wasn't getting the assistance he was promised. "...Myst?"

"S-S-Slippeeeeee...!" The panda had flinched on the way down, her eyes wide with disgust as if she saw an insect in her path. Her small body shivered uncontrollably as a loose root wrapped itself around her ankle.

"Oh my God!" the amphibian shrieked, "What's it doing!?"

"Slippy, help!" she cried as more roots unlatched themselves from the roots were they once peacefully rested, excess rocks and bits of dirt flying as they swung themselves to join that one root, to cling to the defenseless girl, raise her up and constrict her in midair. "Help me! Please!!"

"Myst!" Slippy sprinted back to where she was, leapt up and grabbed onto a piece of the uneven wall that the roots had created. "Errgh, on!" his stubby legs wiggled violently just an inch above solid ground and he clenched his hands and his fingers squirmed to penetrate the shield of bark and dirt. With no progress, it was clear he wasn't strong enough, but his persistence seemed to pester the tree so much it blasted its spare roots and nailed him to the wall by the door. "Aaaa-aaah-eraaah! Let me go! Let me go!!" The tree had covered the toad's little body almost completely; all he was left to do was wiggle his feet and shout pointlessly for help with his big mouth.

"Slippeeeeee!!" Myst wailed as the roots enfolded more and more of itself around her, until her moth was veiled by the heap.

"Let...me...go!" In a splurge of fury, the tree aimed itself as his near-crucified prey and released a giant claw, forged from bare branches, a hideous weapon secreted from up front with false verdant glory. The claw launched for Slippy's head. "Aaah!" A direct hit silenced him with a final boom against the wall.

"Fox?"

"Huh?" Fox turned over form his distorted state and saw Krystal behind him, trying to smile.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"Uh, err...yeah, I'm fine. I just...well, I wanted to make you feel better, and I guess I got a little jumpy."

"Well..." the blue vixen was so embarrassed about what happened before Slippy called, she tried to ignore it altogether. "We should get going. The team needs us..." She started to walk away, hoping something would just come to take her away from this situation, when Fox grabbed her wrist.

"Krystal?" he said.

"Y-yes?"

"It must be hard to deal with...wandering for all these years, thinking you were by yourself, when there where Cerinians just like you, still alive."

"Yes...yes, it is," Krystal positioned herself to be ready to walk again once Fox let go; she wouldn't even face him

"But it must also be a great relief since you're not alone in the universe anymore!"

"I...I'm very shocked about it. I could've sworn there were no survivors but me."

"I understand. But...truth be told, I was kind of hoping _I _would be the one to make you feel better...to let you know you're not alone." The vixen tensed; she fought back wildly flowing emotions with bites on her lip as she slowly turned around. "Whether I'm the one to do it or not...really doesn't matter, though. What I care most about is that you are happy, because you don't deserve what life has given you. I'm sure being with your fellow Cerinians is what would be best for you. And so...I understand if you want to leave us...for them."

"Fox..." she said steadily, her entire body shaking as if shackles were placed upon her, to contain her renegade feelings, swarming all inside her, craving to be free. "I...I _knew _this ship was Cerinian from the moment I laid eyes on it, but it doesn't make sense that there are living passengers on it. It is true about our technology...in the ship I was sent on to escape the blast, there was a small tree, which allowed me to go anywhere I wished, because it gave it infinite strength and energy. However, Cerinian trees feed off the souls of my people, and the more positive our auras are, the stronger they become. B-but...a few years ago, I was feeling helpless, as though no matter how hard I tried, I would never find the reasons behind my home's destruction. I even contemplated...I thought so much of taking my own life! And so...as my hope depleted, the tree slowly withered and died, and I had to get a normal engine in order to keep going, even though..." Her eyelashes streamed themselves with translucent waters, "I wanted to give up and die, but for some reason...I just couldn't do it. I'm not strong enough...can't find a single clue, can't even kill myself..."

"Krystal!" the fox bellowed, "Don't _ever _say anything like that! It's _because _you're strong that you kept on looking, and here it is! Cerinians just like you!"

"That's not what I was looking for!" the vixen shouted back, "There weren't supposed to be any more survivors but me! I was looking for the _reasons _as to why Cerinia blew up! None of this makes sense!" She shook her head to every side, her neat hair pushed back with her elegant headband and Fox's touch fell into disarray. "And what about the pact!? You know it's all true! Your planet was supposed to be destroyed once I died!"

"You...well then, it's because you cared for my planet you never killed yourself! It's because you're weak! Don't ever think that way!"

"I tried to find a way...but I just couldn't figure anything out! I kept thinking my life would go to waste anyway, and it wouldn't matter when I die, your planet is doomed anyway; might as well be sooner than later!"

"Krystal...you can't mean this. Don't let this happen to you. It's going to be all right..."

"But what's the point!? Even if there are more survivors, they're not immortal! The deal has been done; we're all going to die, anyway, no matter what we do!"

"Krystal, _please_! I know you can do this! We'll work this out together, if we have to!"

The vixen stopped dead in her tantrum. "...What?"

"If it really is all true...that both of our worlds are involved in this, then it only makes sense that we _all _pitch in! I want to help you, Krystal! I want you to be happy no matter what I have to do, don't you see that?"

"Fox, I..." She loosened and freed herself alone; the shackles disappeared and she could move and feel freely. She faced the fox completely face to face and stared into his emerald green eyes with one final gulp and a sense of resolve. "I am happy that you want to help, and I have greatly enjoyed what little time we've spent together..."

"What? What are you...?"

"It's one thing if I die, but if something bad happened to you, I wouldn't be able to deal with that. I was empty before, but now that I've met people from Corneria...now I know I have to at least try..."

"Krystal, you're not making any sense! What are you talking about!?"

"...I'm sorry; I have to do this by myself."

"Wait, _what_!? Why—!!" Fox's outbursts were muffled out of sound with the sensation of Krystal's muzzle fusing with his. She lunged for him and sunk in deep, her eyes closed while his were ready to pop out. He quickly passed through his shocked stage; he wanted so badly to enjoy this. He broke through his state of shock-induced paralysis and his paw was hovering over her back, when the light of the sun came beaming upon them until all vision of Cerinia was dissolved in the sky blue rays.

Fox had just motioned his hand to embrace the vixen, just about to hold her tight and relish in her warmth of her kiss, when he realized his mouth was free and breathing in cold air.

"Huh?" he said as he opened his eyes, only to see the grim walls of the back room stare blankly at him. "What!?" he looked around every which way; he saw the apparatus with the dim glyph in the middle, the slits in the walls that lacked in shimmer, and he saw that he was all alone. "Krystal...?" He crossed the room back and forth, even running out the door, through the hallways, bursting down every door, under every bed, every corner, back and forth and back again, shouting, "Krystal!? Krystal!!" Still nothing; the echoes of the fox's yells traveled throughout the upper floor, only to disintegrate in isolation. "Krystal, where are you!?" He rushed on the back of the last room, slamming his fists into the walls, the rage leaving deep gashes in the ship. He kicked and tossed and fussed with such boiling wrath his teeth finally emerged from his mouth as he bellowed from the depths of his throat, "KRYSTAAAALLL!!"

And still, there was no answer.


	11. Sweet Soul Sister

A pretty young vixen with blue colored fur wandered about an empty city; one that she knew all too well. She could even recognize the curves of streets and the height of buildings. By the light of the blue sun, based directly in the center of the wavy sky, she knew that this city would normally be very crowded and busy, yet no one was there but her. The bottom of her sandals slowly scraped the long, winding streets, completely alone. She used to get such a pleasant feeling from this place, but now it was deserted. She remembered always being with her people in this place, before it was destroyed, but now only the sound of her walking and breathing could be heard; the air was still, and no warmth was produced from the sun. No feelings radiated from the city, as if this wasn't her home at all, rather some elaborate scene of a play or giant living book. She was all by herself; she could tell by the nothingness that enfolded her.

Eventually Krystal found herself in the heart of the city. She specifically remembered coming here to play with her friends alongside the stone fountain, but that was a long, long time ago. It was still there, and it still poured out glistening water from its head, but there was no sound coming from it. The emptiness brought her to her knees by the circular base as she leaned over and stared coldly at her own reflection.

"What _is_ this place? Why would someone...create this? I just want to know what's happening...what's going to happen to me...what's going to happen to him..." Teardrops slivered down the dry stone and squirmed in the water like dying fish. As she watched the silent liquids trickle, a small foot appeared in her vision. "Huh?" she looked up and saw a little blue kit balancing herself on the edge of the fountain. She looked as if she didn't have a care in the world, despite the bitter isolation around her. As she walked towards the older vixen, she seemed to have no regards that her folded arms were in her way. Krystal was about to back away when the kit walked through her arms. "What!?" she gasped as she leapt to her feet and backed away. The kit continued to walk with her arms outstretched, singing to herself as if nothing unusual had happened. Then, from nowhere, several more children appeared and ran around the fountain, playing with one another. Not one of them acknowledged the blue vixen's existence. "Wha...what's going on?"

"The resemblance is striking, isn't it?" said an alien voice. Krystal snapped her neck in the direction of a tall, slender raccoon woman with the exact same shade of cerulean blue her as hers, but also with a mask of dark blue fur over her eyes, her ears and around her fluffy tail in thick rings. She wore a long golden cloak of similar material to Krystal's loincloth, golden ankle plates and strapped-up sandals, and she had runic tattoos on her bare arms, also much like the one the vixen had on her body.

"Wha...who are you?" Krystal asked frightfully as she slowly stood up again. The raccoon had a very calm and pleasant demeanor as she smiled at the nervous vulpine, both standing with a pack of children that, for all they knew, were playing by the fountain all by themselves.

"Can't you tell?"

The vixen took a closer examination of the raccoon's clothes. "You look like...a cleric."

"Very good! You see? It hasn't been that long. Yes, I am a priestess; my name is Sappho. It is good to see you here, my child."

"What are you...why are these children...?"

"For lack of a better term, they're ghosts."

"...Ghosts?" Between exchanged words, white balls of light came down from the sky, resonating with bright, colored flames. As they landed, limbs grew from their centers, and the embers took the shapes of small bodies. Right before the vixen's eyes, the flames took the form of more children; they solidified and ran to the children that were already by the fountain. One of them passed through Krystal's legs and was not wavered by it ay all. "They're not real..."

"Oh, they're indeed real," said Sappho, "but they're on a different plane of existence than we are. How long has it been? About twelve years?"

"When Cerinia was destroyed...?"

"Yes, well, I was the only member of the clergy who thought we could escape, so I rounded up as many people as I could, and we left in my ship. We watched our home planet get purged by furious fires, but the will to live kept us going. My ship was called the Salvation; it was large enough to carry a fair portion of the population, and powerful enough to get us to our new home, halfway across the universe."

"But you didn't make it. Your ship is in the middle of nowhere with no power and it's full of entrapped spirits."

"That's not entirely true."

"What?"

"It _is _true that we were attacked. We had come so far, but we were never meant to escape. Maybe our Creator was just toying with us; it's a terrible punishment, false hope. They all died, and they all had such faith in the journey. But what was not accounted for was that the generator of the Salvation, like all Cerinian trees, is powered by the energy given off by souls. Even when our physical bodies die, our souls always remain."

"Why wouldn't the souls ascend after their bodies die?"

"Because the tree is keeping them here. Since the attack, the tree has been sucking all the energy out of us. To sustain itself, it keeps all the spirits in infinite limbo, always replaying the last few hours before they all died. The souls of the dead keep thinking they're alive, that they're going to make it, and then they die again, and then the process starts all over again. It's like a twisted play that repeats itself over and over, and all the actors always think it's the first time. It's all because the tree just wants to keep living, almost like a person."

"But my friends came here searching for survivors. If they should interact with a ghost, will something happen to them?"

"My child...normally souls can be very strong, and very rarely are they contained in the mortal world after their bodies die. But over the years, the tree has mutated, and it became stronger. Now not only is it powerful enough to retain the souls of the passengers here, but it can also defend itself and capture the souls of new victims, should it get the chance. If you and your friends stay for much longer, you will probably be trapped in limbo, as well."

"You're aware of all this...are you a ghost, too?"

"I am merely transcending death, my child. I was here mediating when we were attacked, and ever since, well...let's just say I am now a _part _of my own ship."

Krystal was dumbfounded, feeling both helpless and awkward. "Oh, I'm sorry...but...isn't there anything I can do? There must be something...I can't just let all these poor spirits dwell here, and I need to save my friends."

Sappho raised her head skyward, and simultaneously the children bodies collapsed, their particles rearranging into to balls of colored fire, from which they flew off, their tails burning like backward comets. "Let's take a walk." She said as if nothing was wrong. While Krystal was still confused, she couldn't think of anything else to do but follow.

And so the young blue vixen trailed behind the older blue raccoon like a scared child as she looked at a shell of what used to be her home. The priestess walked through the empty streets casually, almost strolling, with her head held high. Krystal was confused by this site; she even wondered for a second what spending all these years here with no one to accompany her except a group of ghosts would do to the raccoon's sanity. She began to think the spirits were watching her, flying overhead as Sappho eventually lead her to a large building, and the vixen immediately recognized it as the largest sanctum in the city. A chill raveled the stacks of her spine as they walked through the spacious vestibule.

"You are the last Cerinian alive, correct?"

The vixen stopped in her tracks and shivered as the raccoon proceeded down the aisle between the polished white pews and further to the alter. Her body seemed to glow through the dim reflected lights of the pastel-colored stained windows. Krystal swallowed her discomfort and continued, trying to convince herself that the priestess was here to help her. "Well...that's what I always thought. I saw Cerinia get destroyed myself, and then my family's ship was attacked as well. I barely got away, and I was the only one, but I had no idea there were others who tried to escape, so..."

"We were the only ones. And even so, we could not escape our fate. You, however, were fortunate enough to avert the catastrophe. I suppose it's not that unlikely that, in all the carnage, at least one person would be able to slip through. You really are a very lucky girl, my child."

"I can't say I feel very lucky. I've been searching for years for the reasons why Cerinia was..."

Sappho clutched her fists and turned back swiftly in front of Krystal, impatience clear in her face. "Oh come now. You very well know what the answer is; you always have."

"No, I...it's not..."

"You want to know what killed Cerinia? God did. We were so caught up with our own pursuit of the elixir of life and the philosopher's stone that we were going beyond simple mortality. We weren't meant to proceed as far as we did. Other planets concern themselves with mundane advances, their so called "technology", but what does that do for them? They kill themselves in wars and pollute their homes until they wipe it clean of any livable environments. We were the only ones that knew the truth, but we went too far."

"That's not true!" The raccoon was surprised to see the confused young vixen burst into rebellion. She was shaking some, but she had a firm sense of resolve. "There's no way that can be true! Our Creator would never do something like that! I won't believe these false prophecies any longer!"

"Why the sudden change of heart? Is it that maybe if all of this isn't true, your lover's safety will be ensured?"

"What!?"

"This is my domain, my child, and I'm far wiser than you. I saw both of you out there. He's a Cornerian, and from the looks of it he seemed to be a fighter. You _know _you shouldn't be with him. You shouldn't be involving yourself with any of those filthy ignorant traitors. Have you forgotten all your teachings?"

"It's that kind of resentment and prejudice that would truly do us all in! I don't care about your teachings and twisted morals anymore; they've only caused me pain!"

Sappho sighed, turned around and walked around the altar. "Very well, my child, believe whatever you want." She slowly opened an unseen drawer and pulled out a long staff, made of gold, encrusted with blue gemstones, and embellished with holy rings hanging from the head of it that spiraled into infinity. As she returned to the other side of the alter, every solid tap, followed by a cluttering chime of the rings, made Krystal hunch her shoulders and slowly, furtively fingered her staff, just in case the raccoon might do what she thought she would do...

Krystal slowly backed away, too slowly to be noticed, but the raccoon's feet and the pounding of her staff against the carpeted aisle progressed. The sounds of her beats began to sound faster and more menacing. The vixen increased her pace, taking a large step backward, her free arm behind her, reaching for the door. Sappho saw this and her smile twisted. The next moment, her legs were charging and her arms were in the air, ready to swing. In the midst of the raccoon's violent yelp, Krystal pulled herself to shield her head with her staff to block Sappho's. The vixen fought it off, and then proceeded to counter, making a swing for the raccoon's legs. She made a small leap and swiped for Krystal's torso, but she swiftly leaned back and watched it as the rings barely brushed the tip of her muzzle. Standing straight, her feet bouncing, she made a slash for Sappho, who batted it away and lunged for the vixen a second time.

"Why are you doing this?" said Krystal as she held back the assault with her own staff.

"It's the will to live, my child," said Sappho as she continued to push her strength through the vixen's shield. "I told you I'm a part of my ship now, and as long as it lives, I live, and I want to live...very badly."

"But...don't you care about all the passengers trapped in here? If you keep doing this, they'll be stuck in this loop where they keep dying again!"

"They deserve it. The people of Cerinia were arrogant, and we were betrayed. There is nothing to reverse what has been done, and so the only thing to do is to go with it."

Krystal could feel her shield giving out as her arms trembled, her staff getting pushed to her neck. "Can you honestly say you want to keep doing this? Just living in a big illusion of our dead home!? That's not living at all! You're fooling yourself!"

"I have been living like this so I could wait for a chance to escape! You and your friends were foolish enough to come here, and now I'll take your body so I can return to the living world!"

"N-no! I won't let you! The passengers of the Salvation will rest in peace, and so will you!" the vixen mustered all her strength into her arms, lashing out at the raccoon and knocking her to the ground. The priestess got up just in time to swipe away the bright disc of fire that emanated from Krystal's staff. She raised her weapon and, with a burst of yellow and orange sparks, another flipping plate of fire dashed towards the raccoon. Sappho flung her staff to the ground, deflecting the fireball, making it fly across the room and crashed into the balcony. The clash of dying embers and crumbling stone made Krystal flinch, while Sappho's crooked grin twisted more than ever.

In a blur of blue and gold, a heavy force struck at Krystal's upper body, making her flip sideways and cough out spit, her staff twirling several feet away from her reach. In a daze, she looked up and saw Sappho pointing her staff in her pretty blue face, the sharp head a hair away from the space between her eyes, the rings dancing with delight as they almost touched her face.

"Don't worry, my child. Once I have a vessel to leave this God-forsaken hunk of metal, the passengers will be...taken care of." The head of the raccoon's staff was shaking, the vixen at its end squirmed and crammed her eyes shut, but instead of a quick stab, the priestess raised her instrument and bashed it on her skull before she could even tell what it was doing.

And darkness surrounded the pretty, innocent blue vixen's vision, her mind and her heart.


	12. Inescapable

"Where is she? Where could she _possibly _have gone? There's no way she could've just...disappeared! Ugh, damn it!!" the walls boomed as Fox flung his foot into the innocent walls; his raging kick punishing them for no reason. He had gone through the entire upper floor of the Salvation; back and forth, side to side, every plane, every panel of the walls, the ceilings, the floors. Every room was hollow, and his voice disintegrated in the empty atmosphere. This truly was a ghost ship, and it had taken another victim off the face of existence. "Krystal? Krystal!! Please...where did you go!?" The fox's indignation had hit him so hard that with just a few outbursts across the ship his body shortly began to lose much of his normally plentiful energy. Fox was left feeling more weak and helpless than ever before. The burdens fell on his wrist like an iron shackle as he lifted it into his vision and opened his COM link connection. He swallowed as much of his sorrow as he could; even though he lost his precious vixen and would have to tell his teammates, he did not want them to see him in such distress. "Peppy, listen...uh...Peppy?" he expected an answer immediately, but his anticipation was left unfulfilled. "Peppy? Are you there? Peppy, this isn't funny! Come on!" It disturbed Fox, thinking of how the hare seemed to be the last person to make such a prank, especially since he had showed so much concern in the matter. "Peppy, _please_, I'm being serious. Something really awful has happened..." His armlet remained blinking, but provided him no answer from his teammate. "What's going on...? He should've...well, maybe...maybe he's asleep. Yeah, that's got to be it." Fox tried to laugh at himself, but he had too much sadness to counter it.

With a shrug, he pulled out his PDA so that he could quick take a look at where Falco and Slippy were on the ship. He turned it on, but the screen remained blank, detecting not one other living thing on the ship but himself. "Huh? That can't be right! This thing must be on the blink, it's just not possible!" He smacked and shook the gadget with what little stamina he had left, but it did not react any differently. Still he tried his best to remain calm; to keep the thrashing of his heartbeats subsided. He steadily marched to the end of the hall, through the foyer. "Falco! Hey, Falco! Are ya there!?" he yelled as he circled through the large room, his eyes wandering and his ears straight up, looking and listening for another sign of life. "Slippy? Hey! Can you hear me!?" What the vulpine saw around him remained the same, and the only thing he could hear was the sound of his own echoes fading in the foyer.

Fox wanted to run around the ship and search, he wanted to find them more than anything, but the ground pulled his knees down to them as if they were magnets. He couldn't begin to understand why his teeth were grinding together and his paws were tugging at the nerve endings of his fur with an immense frustration. He had only searched part of the Salvation when the feeling of utter desertion overtook him. Even though he wanted to keep searching for his teammates, something clawed at the back of his brain, pricking at his normally enormous confidence and telling him searching was futile. Everything is futile.

"Why won't they answer me? Are they really gone...? Where could they be? There's no way they would've just _left_...and without me..." He risked tearing ligaments in the meat of his arms as he pulled them upwards, his legs shaking. With another wobble he stood up completely straight. His eyes bounced around a second time, a shred of hope lingered and died with another full scan. He sighed, stuck the thought that they obviously weren't on the Salvation and there was no point getting too worried about it into his head. Worrying was not his style, and even though the wrinkles in his brain stressed inside his head, he knew it wouldn't get him anywhere. Collecting nerves and air all at once, he then exhaled and took a step towards the end of the Salvation, only to be interrupted by a violent bash to the back of the ghost ship. _"Whoa!"_ slipped out from his mouth as he tumbled across the floor. He recovered and slid onto a paw and a knee, only to feel the vibrations of the pulsing tiles, the rapid shivering of the walls as if they were to all combust.

"What's going on!?" the Salvation answered the lonely vulpine with crumbling foundations, ripped apart by spheres of light, slashing the columns that crowned the ship from the inside and so their crumbled remains scattered across the floor and as their cracks and carpets filled with blood. The razor-bladed flickers revealed an array of ghosts, the once living passengers of the Salvation, which reappeared from all over, only to be thrown down by an unknown but tyrannical force. Their weak blue bodies were tossed across the ship, limbs cut and buried in the soon to be ruins.

Words failed to surface as the vulpine hero watch the floor below his get ripped apart. He ran towards the exit, and as soon as it became in reach, the doors were flung open, then tossed away like rectangular disks. He stood in the middle of an erupting floor, cracks in the tiles opening like wounds, releasing corpses that floated like blood cells in the stratosphere. A final sigh, knowing he could not escape, seeing the ship was already coming apart, and he had lost the will to live, especially since _she _was probably gone forever.

The exhale ended, the Salvation floated as pieces of enormous white metal, like large dead stars, refusing to let go of luster, but never to be seen by living eyes again. That is where death stole the last breath of the mercenary hero, Fox McCloud.


	13. Guilt Trip

Split down the middle and bashed into even smaller pieces, the Salvation remained, with the exception of some floating debris, in two parts, one hanging onto the mast, the other carried corpses in the rear. The once opulent rooms were slashed from the womb of the great ship by an omnipresent force made entirely of light, but the ones that were impaled individually, including the bodies that spilled out from the white metal shell, appeared as only bits of dust, slowly floating away from the safety they'd been stripped of.

Somewhere in the second broken half of the shell, leaves began to leak from the shredded opening. An enormous tree held steadfast in the patch of artificial earth it was given. Bluish white lights continued to flow through what looked like veins between its barky wrinkles. From the opening, the tree could see death all around it, while it still lived on. Engulfed in the bleak void of space, the sheets of black and flickering stars almost acted like a reaper of death, much like itself.

A girl that had believed in the power and providence of the tree, a little blue panda named Myst, was being carried off by the boundless void. The tree watched in amusement as forces beyond gravity lifted her from the rock by its side in which she bashed her head in once it let go of her. It didn't need her anymore, and simply watched trickles of blood float in the stratosphere like deep red bubbles. It held another prisoner, this one it wouldn't let go of. This one happened to be a member of the Star Fox team; poor little Slippy Toad. A green foot and hand barely stuck out from the tree's root-woven grasp, both completely still. Inside the palm where the tree held him, an entire world of darkness enveloped.

"Hmm...um...where am I? What's going on?" Slippy asked himself in the World of Darkness, no more than a plane of nothingness veiled in visible, blackish colors. "I can't...remember what happened, but...I don't _think _I was alone. Where have all my friends gone?"

"They were never with you to begin with," said a voice that struck the poor toad like lightning. From a curtain of shadows, his own father, Beltino Toad, a round green amphibian much like him, slightly taller and tubbier with glasses and a thin mustache, appeared before him.

"D-dad!?" the younger toad exclaimed, "What are _you _doing here? You're not supposed to be here...I think, um..."

"I need to be here, Slippy," said Beltino with a bubbling sense of authority, "No one else has the nerve to tell you the truth, and, as your father, I think it's somewhat in my place to tell you."

"Tell me...what?"

"Slip, why don't you just come home with me? You're better off that way."

"What? How come? I...don't really remember what exactly I should be doing, but I know it's something! My friends, the team needs me!"

The elder toad shook his head and rubbed his eyes; his son had long ago adapted that as a universal sign of disappointment. "I'm sorry, Slippy, but you don't have any friends."

Slippy's face exploded in puzzlement, as if his father had just spoken to him in another language (one that he couldn't translate, that is). "W-what!?" What are you talking about, Dad? That's not true at all! I...I'm part of the Star Fox team! They're all my friends!"

"Slippy, please, don't delude yourself. They're not your friends, never were. Have you not noticed the way they treat you? They positively hate you."

"What? That can't be right! I mean, I know I can be a little clumsy, but..."

"A _little_? Son, they can't stand a thing about you! Do you honestly think they _enjoy_ how they always have to save you and how you always bother them over every little thing?"

Without him even noticing, the poor, dumbfounded toad's big round eyes were beginning to swell with salt water. "Well, I know I'm not the best pilot around, b-but...I _do _contribute as best I can. What about the submarine we built together? They used it, um...once. And, and...well, besides! I know sometimes I can screw stuff up, and maybe I am kind of a nuisance, but...I don't believe Fox would hate me! There's no way he would've stuck with me all these years if he _hated _me! Yeah! Fox is my best friend!"

Beltino grunted. "You really think that, don't you, Slip?" his son only responded with the sniffles of his green nostrils. "Fox realized that you would be nothing but a thorn in his side from the moment he met you, but he's a good person, so he took pity on you. Even the best of us can only stand so much, though. Part of him, as with the rest of the team, wanted to get rid of you, but they felt so sorry for you (except maybe that Falco boy, he REALLY hates you) that they just let you hang around.

"As expected, you've been nothing but a bother to them—whaling for help like a helpless little boy and disturbing them with your useless inventions. Why, it's a miracle they were able to defeat Andross with such an irritating obstacle such as you."

Slippy could not even answer with words; his mouth had dropped too far down to pull himself back up again. He stared at his father with two wide, empty fish bowls, yet Beltino was not phased by it in the slightest. He simply stared down at his poor little son and continued to lecture without emotion.

"Son, I'm here to save you a lot of heartache. You may think I'm being rough, but believe me; your so-called-friends will be much crueler. Now come home with me; I can't imagine how much you'll cry when they finally come to their senses and kick you out of the team."

By the time his father finished, Slippy was all in pieces. His arms hit the floor like two heavy noodles, his back slouched, in awe of Beltino, his eyes puffy and full of water which failed to make a sound as the drops rolled off his round face an dropped to the floor, which remained to be seen by the miserable amphibian.

"Is it...really true? Am I _that _useless?" The toad continued to cry, his spirit crushed by his cruel father (much crueler than he figured), and the tears that his eyes extracted began to gather more quickly until they formed a small ring around his waist. The ring became thicker as more tears flowed, but poor delusional Slippy was too clouded in self-pity to notice.

"Yes, Slippy, you _are _useless. You have no friends, they have no reason to like you. You're better off disappearing." His father stated to him as the tears collected themselves around him, enveloping him inside a sphere of translucent liquid.

"I'm better off...Krystal, Peppy, Falco...Fox...are all better off without me. They don't need me. They'll be much happier without me. I should just go away right now. I don't want to be a burden to them anymore..." With his words, the waters washed over his frowning mouth, about to wrap him up entirely, but he was too numb and lonely to even taste the salt. Curling up like a fetus, the poor little toad covered himself in the blankets of water, his only comfort in his useless life of annoyance. "I didn't mean to bother anyone, I just wanted to help, but I...I can't do that. I can only leave and be out of their way forever..."

"Slippy?" a voice sparked from nowhere, piercing through the shield of tears and knocking the amphibian to his sense again. His thought perception clear again, he recognized it immediately.

"Fox?" he said, feeling his teammate's voice was in pain.

"I need...help...Guys..."

"Oh!" the poor little toad wiggled with force until he broke the grasp his sadness had on him, ripping it to watery shreds. He stood upright on the floor, no longer feeling like a poor little thing that should drown in his own sorrows and self-pity, in a mess of salty droplets. "Fox is in trouble! He _needs _our help!"

"Slippy!" bellowed Beltino. "As your father, I order you to come home! Fox doesn't want your help; you'll just get in the way!"

The smaller amphibian looked directly at the elder one, his resolve able to reveal the lies in his cold fat face. "You're not my dad at all! My dad would _never _say such bad things about me, especially since they're not true!" Slippy looked up and saw an opening tear through the black ceiling, the light reaching out to him, turning his entire body bright green and gaseous, almost like a ghost form of himself. "Here I come, Fox!" and without a doubt in his head, the amphibian jetted off through hole, having shed his legs, and it immediately closed up with his leave, concealing his brutal imitation father in the darkness.

From the cracked half-shell of the Salvation, the giant tree watched grimly as a bright green spirit, shaped like a happy toad, flew easily away from its grasp and off to the Great Fox. With this, it dropped the body carelessly and watched it float; without the soul, the body was useless to him.

* * *

"Diagnostic scans show Peppy's heartbeat is failing. Requesting assistance..." the robot inside the Great Fox stated. He directed his signals to the COM links of every Star Fox team member, and the messages arrived quickly, but after almost an entire minute, ROB received no answer. "Other members of the Star Fox Team are not responding. Initiating first aid procedure." ROB then lifted a stout, elderly hare from the increasingly large puddle of his own blood. Grabbing him with his rake-like hand by the ends of his jacket like a crane machine with a toy, the robot carried him off to his quarters. Poor old Peppy Hare's reading glasses clumsily fell off as he was taken to his resting quarters, but just as well, since could not see anything but darkness.

"Ugh...uh...what in the world...?" the hare stirred; constricting lashes of weary pain covered his legs, so at first he could only kneel as he woke. With frequent shaking he began to lift himself up on his feet. His little paw massaged his forehead and he gave a gasp when he realized his glasses weren't there. His vision was fine without it, but there was not much to see. "What...happened? Where am I? Ah, I can't think straight!"

"Getting senile, eh?" squealed a painfully high-pitched, whiny little voice that lifted the hare's paw from his head and made him clutch his heart with it.

"Oh, dear God, no...not him...anyone but him..."

"What? Did I scare ya?" said a repulsively fat and ugly pig-man, slightly shorter than the hare, with a conniving face that hung flaps of hairy pink flesh, a wide, dark-colored snout and beady black eyes. The hare shuddered and maintained a fair distance from Pigma Dengar, his former friend and teammate along with Fox's father, and the reason why the original Star Fox team shattered. Peppy didn't even want to make eye contact, hoping the traitorous pig-man would just go away, but he only persisted, his voice nagging at his brain. "Ya know what," Pigma began, "The last time we saw each other out of our Arwings, face-to-face, we were still friends."

"You mean before you betrayed James and I?" sneered Peppy, "Yeah, that's a really nostalgic thought, Pigma."

"Now that I see you close up, I see the years have been _terrible _to you, Peppy old buddy."

"Funny, I was thinking about saying the exact same thing to you, but then again, you've always been that way. You were an ugly, horrible traitor for the longest time..."

"Ooooooh!" the pig mimicked being scared and gave a wicked laugh, congested with snorts. "No need to get all snippy!"

"Oh, shut up!" barked the hare, "Seeing you is the last thing I need! What are you doing here, anyway?"

"I could ask _you _the same question!"

"Well, I...uh..." Peppy's blind defending of a dismal room of inky black he had never seen before suddenly dawned on him. "What _am _I doing here, anyway? How did I even get here...and what was I doing before?" Peppy thought to himself as he scratched behind his long, floppy ears, "Ugh, if Pigma's actually right about me losing it..."

"Tell me something," said Pigma in an unnervingly mischievous way, "Does it make you feel better, blaming me for everything bad that happened?"

The hare nearly snapped his neck turning around to face at the porcine with wide, angry eyes. "What does _that _mean!? You _are _to blame for what's happen! James and I trusted you, we were a team, we were friends, and you threw all that away! And for what? For some...reward!? Do material possessions really mean that much to you? Are you _that _much of a glutton for things that don't even matter!?"

"Obviously," said Pigma with content, "but I'm not the one you should be mad at."

Peppy was just about ready to pummel that flabby slop of a face, all bloated with cruel thoughts and selfishness, but his gentlemanly ways kept him still. He gave out a displeased breath and said,

"What...does _that_ mean?"

"I wasplanning on betraying you and James for a very long time, but that was never my problem. I was looking out for myself, but you didn't have a clue as to my intentions. I accepted the responsibilities of my actions—that's why I joined the Star Wolf team, and that's why I'm never planning to make amends. You, however, simply mourned James's disgraceful death and pointed the finger at me. It was your problem, not mine, and you didn't do anything about it. So really...isn't it _your_ fault?"

"Wha...?" the hare froze and took a step back. "That...that's not true at all...y-you're a traitor and I'll never forgive you!"

"Oh, boo-freaking-hoo," said the sarcastic, evil little swine. "As if I really gave a shit how you felt about me now."

The hare's buck teeth were clenching. "You..."

"Think about it for a second, unless you lost the ability to do that, too. All your life you've depended on others—first it was James and I, and you've never been the same since I left. Now you've got your little brigade of kindergarteners, and they do everything for you! There's no way you ever would've taken action against me and Andross without them, because you're too weak to deal with it yourself, and you're a total coward."

"I...can't believe you! That's...none of that's true! Andross is gone, and what do you have? What has your selfishness gotten you? You have nothing now!"

"At least I don't have any guilt about it! The entire thing was my choice. I may have a new team, but I'm not nearly as dependant and pathetic as you. And now that you've retired, what can you even hope to contribute!? Why would anyone want your 'advice' when you don't even have the nerve to follow it yourself!?"

"But...what was I to do?" Peppy was talking more to himself than to the ugly porcine. "It's not like I could've taken Andross by myself...how could I have rescued James the way things were?"

"You didn't even try, Peppy, you just ran away like the helpless little rabbit you are. God forbid you'd try to save your friend against all odds and die like a hero. You can blame me for everything wrong in your life, but it only proves my point further that you can't take care of yourself, much less anyone else!"

The hare lost his firm grip and trembled, the shadows wavering over him crushed his insides, making him cringes and squirm.

"Even if I couldn't have saved James, I should've tried. I shouldn't have just run away...but I did. I _did_ run away. I don't deserve to have a friend like James; I don't deserve to be a member of the Star Fox team..."

"Yeah!" the pig squealed with delight, "That's it! You're just a pathetic, senile old rodent without a shred of pride! You might as well die right now, as a way of redeeming yourself to silly ol' James! At least then you might die with _some _dignity!"

Peppy fell on all fours, hunched at the back where the dark auras oppressed him, like a giant foot stepping on him, pressing him down, making him eat dirt, the pig's sinister oink-filled chuckles amplifying his sickness. His round gut was pumping with harsh inhales and exhales, and his mouth gaping open, so sick at his own cowardice he was ready to vomit. "James, Fox, I'm sorry. It's all my fault. I should've...should've done something...but I just ran. I...I don't...I don't..."

"Peppy?" a voice encircled the area.

"Hey! What gives!?" said the displeased Pigma. He pushed his fat, flabby head in all directions, but saw no one.

"Fox? Is that you?" said Peppy, rearing his head from the darkness.

"Hey! I need you!" the voice, which the hare recognized unmistakably as his vulpine friend's, cried out with optimism.

"Fox! I...I'm coming!"

"You shut up! What can _you _possibly do!?" the pig cried as he helplessly watched Peppy rise up from the oppressing shadows.

"Oh please," he said to him, "Pigma's language is much more vulgar than yours. I won't fall for your mind tricks any longer!"

"But you're just a weak, scared old man!"

"I may have been powerless to save James, but I'll be damned if I let Fox die before me!"

"Humph. If you would just let me kill you now, that can be arranged!"

"Oh, shut up!" the hare yelled as his body turned a bright red. As another hole unstitched itself from the darkness above, giving way to light, he said, "And by the way, I'm not a rodent! You're just a swine and a dumbass!" before he flew into the light.

Once the red spirit, shaped like a rabbit full of determination, was out and on its way, the hole in the darkness sewed itself back together, banishing the twisted Pigma Dengar replica.

* * *

Back inside the Salvation, the other half, also cracked open and with its insides slashed open and ripped away, deep breaths preceded from what was left of its internals. Over hills of jagged stone and marble, all crammed together between broken railings, and along stone pillars mashed into themselves. Through the path of dismembered paintings and sculptures and in the second foyer where blue, soul-less bodies spilled across the mosaic tile, a table rolling over, leaving a robed group of corpses behind, surrounding a planetary icon of false hope which short-circuited and fazed out. Past the door-less hole in the wall, a mass of dissembled boards of wood bled out their collections of thick books with arcane symbols and reading. Still the breathing, heavy but not grating, continued away from the other poor victim, another panda, this one named Skye, and away from the destruction that surrounded a cold, dark blue body of a young falcon.

In another state of existence, sitting coldly in a single spotlight, surrounded by utter black, the bird known as Falco Lombardi sat, knowing his breathing could not be reached by anyone's hearing. He was unaware of where he was or how he got there, but he did not admit it, nor did he say anything else. He sat there in what little of the abyss he could see with his feathered arms locked tightly over his bent legs, keeping entirely to himself.

"I see you're by yourself again," a voice, clear, feminine, and quite sultry, made the bird's eyes bulge for a second before he stood up and watched a pretty purplish-pink feline woman with crème puff hair and fur over her slanting mouth. He watched her long pink tail slink as she approached him. "It's not surprising," she continued as she became fully visible to Falco, giving him no doubts that she was Katt Monroe, an old friend of his...of sorts.

"Hey," he said.

"Well, _that _was a warm welcome!" the cat huffed.

"Sorry; I hope you weren't expecting me to be all happy and take you in my arms or some mushy garbage like that."

"I can always dream, Falco dear. Aren't you even wondering why I'm here?"

"I don't even know why _I'm _here, and besides, you always seem to turn up when I don't want you to."

"Then I guess you never want me around. You don't want anyone around; you just want to be alone."

"Sometimes, yeah. But what's wrong with that?"

"I would say plenty. We all want time to ourselves, but no one wants to be alone all of the time."

"Well, in case you haven't figured it out after all these years, I'm not exactly a socialite like you are."

"Oh! You are so mean, Falco!" the feline pouted, "It's time like this I wonder how you became part of the Star Fox team at all!"

"Because I'm a good pilot, obviously," the falcon said as he turned his back on the feline woman put his feathery hands in his jacket pockets, looking up. "And it's not that I don't like those guys. It's people in general I don't like, not the individuals."

"Hmm..." Katt hummed to herself while walking over Falco, her curvy hips shaking. "Darling..."

He grunted. "Oh please..."

"You went back to them?"

"The team? Yeah, I rejoined just a few hours ago. I felt like coming back, and the timing was pretty good, too."

"When are you going to tell them what you've been doing the past four years?"

"What's _that _supposed to mean?" said Falco defensively, "It's nobody's business what I was doing!" he turned around sharply to look right at her, but much to his surprise, he was only looking at more darkness, but his heart pushed to the edge of his chest with the sudden touch of pink arms around his neck.

Katt gave a soft snicker by his face. "That's always the way with you, isn't it? You little liar."

"Jeez, Katt! What's gotten into you?" he snapped while shaking the feline off himself, only further amusing her.

"You're a real mystery, aren't you, dear?" she said mischievously as she strutted in circled around him. "Always shutting yourself off from everyone else and scolding anyone who tries to get close. How long do you thing you can keep this up, dear?"

"There's nothing _to_ keep up! This isn't an act, it's just the way I am!"

"Don't play dumb, sweetie. People can only take this little routine for so long, you know. Do you really think, especially after all this time, that your team trusts you anymore?"

"Of course they trust me! I'm one of the best pilots out there!"

Katt laughed; her seductively smooth demeanor slowly infuriating the bird. "Oh, silly Falco! That doesn't mean a thing! You think strength means everything? What kind of _monster_ thinks that way?"

The falcon froze, his eyes shrunk, staring at the girl he thought he knew, before he decided to lash out at her.

"What's wrong with you, Katt!? Have you completely lost it!? Nothing you've said has made any sense!"

"Oh, I see. You were expecting your little team to just take you back with open arms and everything would be all warm and fuzzy, and then you could just yell at them and take advantage of them like before, and they'd just forgive you! Just like old times, huh, honey? You can do whatever you please and there'd never be any consequences!" she said as she fearlessly walked up to him and knocked her finger on his chest in a taunting way. "Everything would be just fine because you're a good pilot."

The bird's temper did not take long to flare, and so he swiped her delicate little claw away and yelled, "I don't think that at all! You're out of your mind! You don't know, Katt! You just don't know!"

"Well, then, I'm not the only one! Nobody, not even your closest friends know anything real about you because you always shut yourself off. That's why you acted so cruel to them, is it not, darling Falco? You don't want them to get close to you, isn't that right? How long did you think they'd deal with it? There are plenty of good pilots out there; it's not like they _need _you. Nobody needs you, as you don't need anyone yourself."

"Ugh..." Falco grunted again. Suddenly he couldn't escape Katt's face as she slowly changed from the pretty feline belle to a tormenting, evil bitch. He kept trying to turn away, to be left alone in the darkness, but wherever he went, there she was, her smile growing more crooked. His breathing, once calm and smooth, now charged and fierce in his confusion and anger. Those glaring fangs shooting from that conniving twisted smile, those long slanted eyes, shielded with colored powder and fluttering eyelashes. Such a lovely face he used to know, now some odious shell of pink fur, disappearing and reappearing, always looking at him, never leaving him alone, right there, grinning, always there laughing at him, mocking him, until...

"Rrrr...JUST STOP IT! GO AWAY ALREADY! I WANT TO BE ALONE!"

And everything was oddly silent. The intimidations were over. With one sweet little "Fine!" Falco was alone. He got his wish. He fell to his knees, in the darkness, entirely by himself.

"I'm alone," he said to himself, sitting casually in the black scene. There he contemplated Katt's words, not knowing how long he'd been there. Seconds, days, years, who knew? He never felt himself get hungry or lonely once, he only felt as if he didn't need anything ever again. "That wasn't Katt, no way," he said to himself, "She knows who I am...she's well aware I just want to be alone sometimes. But...does the team really know me? Do they trust me, even after all this time? It wasn't...I didn't do anything wrong. I never meant to..." He sighed. The darkness was beginning to creep under his jacket and crawl through the feathers of his back. It almost felt like an embrace, but it was one he didn't want. It slithered waves of shadow across his stomach, where it felt especially cold, making him shudder, his nerves collapsing. "I don't want to be here anymore...I don't even know what's going on. I never meant to do what I did, it just happened. Somebody get me out of here!" But he already knew there would be no answer; he still had no clue as to where he was, how he got there, or even what he was doing before he got there, but at least he knew he wasn't alone before. Just a few hours ago, he was with his friends again, and it felt good. "I can't leave...it won't let me." He voice strained out a little pathetic-sounding wisp for the darkness became the air he breathed and sucked out all his confidence. Suddenly being a loner didn't seem so great. "I have to leave...have to get out...some way," he said as the feathers on the tips of his fingers brushed against his holster. "Have to leave...I have to go now," he grabbed his blaster on impulse and held it to his head, now gasping in pain and full of sweat. "I can't go back, but I can't stay here!"

"Falco...? Falco!"

"What!?" the bird's heart nearly somersaulted and he leapt to his feet. "Who's there!?"

"Falco, I need you! Come on, guys! Help me!"

"Fox? Fox, is that you?" Falco yelled desperately, covering ground that, for all he knew, was no distance at all.

"Hey, Falco! You coming or what?"

The falcon looked at his feet and saw they were disintegrating, leaving a tail of blue air. "Yeah...yeah, I'm coming!" he said happily as he allowed himself to turn into a ghost.

From out the bookshelves, away from the destruction of the once mysteriously elegant designs of the Salvation, a bright blue spirit, shaped like a falcon with new hope, shot away and headed for the Great Fox.


	14. Unfinished Business

In the center of the shredded metal, giant broken wings and floating corpses was where the dead hero rested, his eyelids nailed shut, his black-tipped ears sagging and his nose dry in the void, barren of air. Loose threads of his worn-out jacket floated freely along with his lifeless arms and legs, his fluffy tail wagering behind him like the listless tail of a motionless kite. His existence had ended; there was no sound, no movement, no concern and no reason to go on. His body, once athletic, strong and full of energy and courage, was now just a bag of organs and fur, doomed to float along the star-streamed grave of black, without any honor, without any concern, without any love. The things that once mattered escaped with the ceasing of his heartbeats and brain pulsations. The thoughts and emotions were forced to exit their body, leaking out as gaseous white matter. Yet, whereas a normal person's soul would fly off and away from the body in a second, his soul lingered, clinging to the end of his fur, giving him a soft glow that surrounded him.

"Hmm…huh? What's going on? Where…am I?" his body was still dead, his mouth did not move as words came out, but the glowing aura that engulfed him spoke for him. The hero's young voice echoed in the void, and, as a surprise to him, it was answered.

"Can't even take care of yourself, let alone your team, what kind of leader are you?" said a voice, too cold for the vulpine to recognize as familiar, even though part of him wanted to.

"Just look at the mess you made, and you can't do anything about it now," said another voice, "You never should've tried to do what your father had done. Someone like you could never fill his shoes,"

"Huh?" he responded, too weak to form any sense of hostility towards the insults, "What are you…talking about? Bill…that's not you, is it?"

"Jeez, Fox. Maybe if you stayed in school with me, you might've amounted to something. Now…pfft, you screwed up big time,"

"No, I didn't…it's not my fault. Why are you saying these things, Bill? You're my friend!"

"You're a failure, Fox," The first one spoke again, "You tried to follow my example, and what did you do instead? You destroyed what little success you had. You have disgraced the McCloud name,"

"What? No, it's not…you can't be…"

"The only people that were foolish enough to follow you…you murdered them. Just like Pigma had done to me,"

"Th-that's not true! I didn't…why are you saying this? You can't be my…"

"I suppose Peppy was too stubborn to believe something like this would happen to him twice, and maybe he was too attached to realize your obvious flaws. But you had to go and abandon his trust, and betray him, as well as the others. You don't deserve to have friends, to be respected, and certainly not loved,"

"…You are not…you're not! Just go away, both of you…"

"Fox…I'm ashamed to call you my son,"

The vulpine hesitated, but his energy pent up and exploded at an extraordinary rate and his soul cried out, "NO! You are NOT my father!"

The second voice tried to fight back. "Fox, you…"

"And you're NOT Bill! You're not my friend! I don't know you people, and you don't know me! Go away! LEAVE!"

The voices halted, and somehow Fox's soul could sense that they were never real, and would not haunt him ever again. Then, a new voice came just as quickly. It was very high-pitched and sounded worrisome.

"Fox? Are you all right?" it said.

"Hey Fox! C'mon, wake up!" said another voice, more masculine and rash-sounding than the first one.

"Fox, please! We need you to open your eyes!" said a deep, rusty and elderly voice.

"Umph…" the white soul sunk in, wrapping itself around every strand of golden-brown fur he had. His fists clenched, ears wiggled the smallest bit and his eyelids squinted until they opened, revealing no irises or pupils of normal mortality, but all whitish glowing light where the eyes would be. The hero wasn't able to realize what exactly was going on, whether he was really alive or if his ghost was still trying to make use of his dead body, but he felt alive, and he could sense his teammates were near, and that was all that mattered to him. "Guys…"

"Fox, we heard you, and we came as soon as we could," said the elder's voice.

"Yeah, like we can't leave you alone for two seconds without you crying for help," said the young, rash voice, "You're even worse than Slippy!"

"Hey!" squealed the high-pitched voice.

"You guys…" said Fox, his voice weak but relieved. "I'm so happy to see you here. I almost thought that…no, I knew you were all alive…I knew you wouldn't let me down,"

"It's OK, Fox, we know," said the oldest voice.

"Yeah, you don't have to tell us!" said the frog happily.

"Slip?"

"What is it, Fox?"

"You've been by my side for as long as I can remember. No matter how tough things got, you were there, ready to cheer me up. Even if you are a little accident-prone, you always did your best, never giving up, no matter how bad things seemed. Whether anyone agrees with me or not, I think all those things deserve respect. I don't care if you're a little clumsy, because you're my friend,"

"Aw, shucks," the amphibian grinned.

"…Peppy?"

"Yes Fox?" the hare responded.

"I know that…when my father died, I acted like my life was over, too, but you knew better. Even when I felt like the world was ending, when I didn't want to care about anything, you still saw hope in me. Things would've been much worse if you had left me, too. You shared my pain, you taught me everything you knew, especially that my father wouldn't want me to be grieving forever. Without you, I wouldn't have grown up the way I did; I'd probably still be sulking…or worse. You saved me from myself. You're like my second father,"

"Oh, Fox, I…"

"And Falco?"

"Hmm?" said the bird, pretending to only care slightly, amusing the vulpine.

"Heh, I'm not surprised you don't want to admit it, but I know you enjoy looking out for the rest of us. That's why you came back to us, right? You were worried, and you just plain missed us, because we're all friends, am I right?"

"…Fox…"

"We all recognize your strength, and we know you like to be the tough guy, and that's fine. You're a good pilot, but that only goes so far. Now that you're one of us, we don't care if there are a million better pilots. We're a team, and that's what matters,"

Falco laughed. "Jeez, Fox, you sure are acting sappy. Are you feeling OK?"

"Heh, well I would happen to be dead. Just thought I'd let you guys know,"

"Actually, Fox, if you can't tell…" Peppy looked down, almost ashamed, at his red, ghostly form. "We all have that problem,"

"Yeah, you're right," said Slippy, "I remember I was in the generator room, and this girl showed me the giant tree that powered the ship. It…attacked us, and then…"

"Wait, _what?_" said the dumfounded Falco.

"It's a long story,"

"Now hold on a minute," said Peppy, "You said something about the tree feeding off spirit power, right?"

"Uh-huh, that's what powers the ship,"

"I'll bet this whole…situation…has something to do with that tree. Maybe we're being held in some kind of limbo because it wants to use us for more energy,"

"Yeah, but the last thing I remember was being crushed by a bookshelf! I didn't even know there were any plants or whatever around!" said Falco.

"Maybe the reason as to why the Salvation seemed like a ghost ship when we found it, in addition to the tree itself and its unusual properties, are tied together, all one force that led us into this mess…perhaps on purpose,"

"It certainly is a ghost ship now, if it wasn't before," said Fox, looking at the scattered scraps of metal, the passengers now spewing out like droplets of blood, their lifeless bodies being tossed by the infinite vacuum of space. "Salvation…it's more like Purgatory…or even Hell…"

"Well, what should we do?" asked the falcon.

"That's a good question," said Peppy as he pondered, "I don't think we can do much the way we are now, but at least at this point, we have nothing left to loose. Our physical bodies are still around, and unlike the other unfortunate people, we still seem to have the will to live, so there must be some way we can get back into our bodies,"

"Call it 'unfinished businesses," said Falco.

"Hey, wait a sec! Where's Krystal?" asked Slippy, and immediately everyone looked at Fox, who seemed displeased at himself.

"We went to the end of the first floor, and there was this machine that created the image of Cerinia. I'm not sure what happened, but…we got separated. The image disappeared and she was gone. I have no idea what happened to her,"

"I'm sure it wasn't your fault, Fox," said Peppy, his tone of voice trying to reassure his leader, "She's probably around somewhere, and just as there should be a way to get our bodies way, I'm confident we'll find Krystal. But we won't be able to get anything done just floating here, discussing it,"

"Yeah!" exclaimed Falco, "Let's get to work! I want my body back!"

"But what _can _we do!?" squealed Slippy. Before anyone could even think of a possible answer, a loud, crackling and stretching sound surrounded the team. "Uh…what was tha—ahhhh!!" the amphibian's eyes bulged, disrupting his question, with the sight of a worm-like branch, twitching right in front of him. The team turned and saw the tree, its unearthed roots floating like dirt-covered tentacles, its bark stretched of wood, revealing large spores of glowing blue from its inside, the emblem carved in its center beating like a heart. Only a few feet away from the group of ghosts, the tree's branches extended ever further, blade-tipped leaves sprouting spontaneously, looking less like any kind of plant, and more like a wood-encrusted monster. "What's happening to the tree!?" Slippy screamed.

"It must be mutating somehow!" said Peppy, "I don't know how, but that thing must have a mind of its own!"

"No way!" said Falco, "How can a _tree _do that!?"

"I don't think it's a tree anymore…"

"Guys," Fox's stern voiced immediately called for all his teammates to give him their attention. "Let's get back to our Arwings,"

"Do you think we'll able to control them…the way we are now?" said Slippy with great worry and fear, constantly squirming away from the small branch that teased him.

"…We don't have much choice. If we don't have the Arwings, we're powerless,"

"He's got a point," said the avian with growing enthusiasm, "I mean, we're freaking ghosts! What else can we hope to do?"

"With any luck, maybe our bonds will help connect us to our Arwings…kind of like I'm able to hold onto my body," said Fox, "Now let's hurry before our souls are plant food!"

"Right!" cheered his faithful team as they flew off towards their mother-ship. Fox paused for a moment, his soul wandering in his body, unable to connect and return to normal mortality.

"I'm coming for you…I'll find you soon. I won't leave you behind…and I _won't _leave you alone!" with a powerful resolve, the vulpine hero let go of his body, allowing his soul, in the form of a white collection of light shaped like a fox, to fly through the empty abyss and into the Great Fox.

The four aircrafts, the Arwings, rested in the hangar of the mother-ship, where the four souls made their way into, unbounded by any physical laws. Phasing through the ship's sturdy walls and the glass that covered each cockpit, the spirits flew into their respected eats and reached for their controls. Their hopes shooting high, begging in their minds for success, they focused all their energy on their hands so that, by some miracle, they could gain control of their ships, which almost seemed like a power they had taken for granted when they were alive. They wanted to sweat, to ache, but those feelings had vanished with their lives. But, through the determination, total concentration burning through their ghostly fingers, the bonds they had with each other, memories flooding of their battles within alongside each other, and the overall will to live again, their pneumatic bodies solidified as soon as they touched their consoles. Jets ignited, engines illuminated, and the Star Fox team braced themselves for flight.

The giant Cerinian tree continued to expand, its branches spanning across the stars, making a harsh, stretching sound as they became bigger and fuller; less like roots, more like bark-covered tentacles. Its blue veins glowed furiously, light pulsing throughout it enormous body, the leaves of its head spreading out and forming razor tips.

"It keeps growing…" gasped Falco.

"Then we have to stop it from growing—permanently!" said Fox with firm resolve as the four aircraft, like blue and silver daggers slicing through the black void, closed in on the plant-like monster, which quickly reacted to their threatening presence. Four of its crackling tentacles shot for each Arwing, but each pilot was able to dodge with a swing to the side or a full U-turn. Fox maintained the closest distance to the tree, eager to destroy the creature and hopefully find its purpose, while the other three were slightly farther away, supporting their leader with constant bolts of green laser lighting, shooting in infinite supply from their aircraft.

"Enemy shield analyzed!" Slippy cried as a small meter appeared before Fox in his cockpit.

"He's got a lot of power…damn soul-sucker," said Falco with discontent. The creature seemed to rumble in response to Fox's opposition, its translucent blue liquids boiling. Tyrannically, it flung out another of its tentacles at the pathetic little nuisance.

"Fox, quick! Do a barrel roll--!"

"I've got the routine down, Peppy," smirked Fox, interrupting his mentor, as he rolled out of harm's way, countering with a barrage of lasers that fried the root, rendering it a black, shriveling husk. Satisfied with the way the battle was going, the vulpine smiled with great confidence. "He's not so tough—whoa!" his sentence was cut short as more tentacles swiped for his ship. By their number and rate which they attacked, it seemed as though they were able to multiply. In a heavy swarm, one branch was able to bash against the hull of the Arwing, flipping it across the void.

"He's strong, try not to take too many hits from him!" said Peppy as he watched Fox recover.

"Yeah, no kidding…"

"Hang in there, I'm comin'!" said Falco as he swooped in from above. The tentacles immediately reacted to him and flung themselves at his Arwing. None of them, however, were able to reach the swift aircraft in time as it zoomed past them in all directions. With zips left and right at the speed of sound, the branches fumbled and eventually tied themselves up in splintered knots. "Heh, no need to thank me, Fox,"

"Sure Falco, whatever," Fox and the other two members of his team and taken the opportunity to take a frontal attack on the tree-like creature, blasting its veined bark without mercy. The tree seemed steadfast at first, as if they were shooting at an invincible fortress, but in due time the bark along its body began to rot, and bizarre, incoherent wails emanated from it, echoing through space, almost like it was crying.

"Hey! We're doing it!" said Slippy with delight.

"Yes, but…my concern is…what'll happen once we defeat it?" queried Peppy.

"Only one way to find out!" said Falco, the usual cockiness in his voice. He took another U-turn and began shooting at the tree himself. Completely sure that he had tricked the monster into incapacity, he continued to blast it until another root, like a dagger hidden away until the moment for the final strike, lunged for his ship, wrapping itself around it. "Holy shit!" he shouted as the girth of the root broke through the glass of his cockpit, leaking into the aircraft with small roots that spontaneously sprouted from the original. "It's a good thing I'm a ghost…or I'd be in _real _trouble…" the avian said, slouching low into his seat, as to avoid the invasion of tiny wooden tentacles.

"Falco! Are you OK?" said Fox, shocked at how his ace pilot was suddenly attacked.

"I'll be fine…for a while," the bird answered, "but I don't think I'm gonna be of much help!"

"Don't worry; we've got this!" The three pilots separated as to shoot the monster from three completely different directions. Fox maintained evasive maneuvers, as the creature once again had its remaining strength focused on him. Noticing this, Peppy and Slippy took this golden opportunity and made several clear shots to the monster's upper body. They dodged the roots that constantly pursued them and fired lasers from every angle they could fly to. Within minutes, the leaves atop the monster's head began to rustle back and forth like a small, angry green sea. Its bark continued to sizzle as the wailing sounds became louder and sharper. Once a rumbling cry that escaped through the echoes of the empty void, the noise had risen to a piercing shriek of pain in response to the beating it was receiving.

"Ah, that noise! It's unbearable!" said the hare, covering his long and sensitive ears. In this state of weakness, the monster fought through its pain, tossing one of its spare roots to give Peppy's Arwing a brutal whacking. In his attempt to back away, his flying skills crippled by the noise, the old hare found himself clutched in the monsters struggling grip. "Damn, I…I'm stuck!"

"Oh no! Peppy—whoa!!" Just a second the toad turned away to see Peppy in distress, along with Falco, and that one second was the monster need to toss his sword of branches, strewn with small blades of leaves, along the metal of his own Arwing. Helplessly, the little amphibian watched as his console leaked of little lightning bolts, the glass of his cockpit crackling as the mutated leaves knocked against it. "Aaaahh! This…_thing_ is frying my system!"

"Damn it! I thought we had this under control, guys!" said Fox with raw frustration.

"I know, I know!" barked the peeved Falco, "I can't _believe _I let my guard down for one second! Never again…"

"I screwed up again" moped Slippy, "It just came out of nowhere…"

"Ugh, I'm sorry, Fox…" said Peppy, not completely sure if his leader was addressing him or not. His ears flopped down like a tent in a dreary voice, as if his abilities had all been wiped clean. "We must have gotten a bit rusty after these couple of years. It just doesn't seem have any particular weakness…"

By this time, having absorbed the fact that each member of his team had been incapacitated after they appeared to be doing so well, Fox was growling. "_Everything _has a weakness, we just haven't found it…" as he continued to grumble to himself, he examined the monster, which was preoccupied constricting his teammates. With a daring swish to the very front, Fox was able to see the strange emblem imprinted among the lobes of wrinkled, decaying bark. The very sight of it pulled out the fox's green eyes, it being such a distinct design, one of which he immediately recognized, filling his head with thoughts of his beloved blue vixen.

"Krystal…" he said softly in awe, new determination rising. Able to think of nothing else but recovering her, and destroying this unholy creature that _must _have some connection to her disappearance, he did the only thing he hadn't before. With a clenched fist, he smashed a button on his console, and from that a great burst of read light emerged form his Arwing. The bomb concentrated in massive power at the tip of Fox's ship, directed almost perfectly at the tree's emblem. His prisoners under control, the monster became more aware of its impending danger. Its cries became louder, ripping the silent atmosphere to shreds, and the bubbles in its veins multiplied with rage, but its threats were in vain, as it could not let go of its prisoners, for fear they would continue to fight back, and it did not want such taunting rays of fire drilled into its body any longer.

So, helpless to the punishment it was about to receive, the tree monster bellowed out in advance as the bomb flew across the stars and into the emblem in its heart. The collision struck so fiercely into the creature that a final, high-pitched cry resounded in space as the spiral design cracked in half, unlatching the tree in two. There it floated, its grip on the other three pilots slowly loosening, its body opening up like an oyster shell, revealing a mysterious inner light.

"What…is that??" said Fox.

"No clue," said Falco, "but it's gotta be there for a reason…"

"Well, Fox, you were expecting something to happen once you defeated it, right? asked Peppy, "I don't know what's inside that thing, but, who knows? It's probably our only lead now,"

"You're right. You guys can go back to the Great Fox, I'm going in!"

"Are you _serious_!?" said the outraged avian.

"We don't know what'll be in there, and you guys are in no condition to fight! Don't worry. I'll be fine by myself, just give me a few minutes…" The vulpine leader followed his words without delay, zooming into the light that blasted, perhaps endlessly, from within. As his Arwing became enveloped in the cleansing blue light, one paw firm on the controls, another at his heart. "Krystal…please be alive…" As their own aircraft became free, the roots that once entombed them falling to the abyss of space, left to wilt away and die, the other three members of the Star Fox team watched as their leader's silhouette vanished in the possibly infinite gash of light. Reluctantly, all three of them retreated to their mother ship, with the feeling that this would be one of those trials Fox would have to overcome by himself.


	15. Transcendence

A sensation, cold but soothing, waved over the vulpine hero as his vision became blurred by the intense light. While he could just feel the strands of his fur bristling gently in an invisible force, he helplessly allowed his arms and legs proceed into numbness. As far as he was able to tell his Arwing had been disintegrated in the light. The entire ordeal was a moment, and so the Fox could barely grasp the thought that he himself was entombed in the blank state of Purgatory, drifting into nothingness with no strength to even consider fighting it. However, as soon as that last thought entered his head, it was immediately sucked out as he was flung out of the light and onto a field, which seemed to have popped into existence in a split second.

"Ow! Uhh…" the vulpine moaned as he lifted his head and rubbed it with his paws. "That hurt…I thought I wouldn't feel any pain if I was a ghost. Man, I have _no _idea what's going on…huh?" as he stood up, he noticed his new surroundings were suspiciously familiar, and questions came flooding through the wrinkles of his brain. "Ah! This is…Cerinia! This is almost the exact same area where I got separated from Krystal! How'd I get back here…?" as he questioned his location, Fox started to walk, figuring he'd better his chances of understanding his situation. His path sloping down a small hill, he could already see the strange city, the one he had seen before, not too far in his vision. "Where did my Arwing go? What happened to that freaky tree?" he became frustrated by his own questions, not able to think of a fathomable explanation. "Damn! I wish Peppy never found that stupid ship! I just can't _believe _this! This is all one big, ridiculous nightmare! I don't even know if this is real or not…" as he continued to grumble, a thought suddenly appeared in his mind. "Hey, wait a minute! This is where I lost Krystal, so she _has _to still be here! Of course, how could I let that slip my mind? She couldn't have gone far—Whoah!!"

A sudden jolt of movement in the still earth disrupted his train of thought, knocking him back onto the ground. Lying on his stomach, he was just able to see tremors spreading across the ground, deep cracks separating into wide chasms that sucked all the natural peace of the environment into its shadowy canals. In minutes the buildings of the city were beginning to collapse. The tumbles of stones and the great booms they made when they collided with the ground and each other shattered the tranquil air, summoning powerful gales that lashed everything in its path with swift, raging howls.

"Wh-what's…go-going…ooooonnn?" said Fox, unable to withstand the forces of destruction enough to stand up again. Still at a fair distance form the city of glistening towers, he helplessly watched as every building merged with each other into a giant pile of rubble, surrounded by a massive cloud of dust. He tried to raise his upper body with his arms, but the continuing shakes prevented him from making a firm movement. The piece of land he was nailed to seemed to be untouched by the catastrophe in motion, yet every second he still felt his heart halt in its beating as more fissures spilled throughout the ground, like it was forming a giant spider web of cracks and trenches. Fighting the fierce vibrations, the vulpine cranked his neck up and watched the sky as it too reacted to the unexplained chaos.

The atmosphere caved into a red so deep, the sun and stars all were devoured in the crimson waves. It spewed rays of bright red, like streams of neon, jerked out of the miserable heavens like violent teardrops.

"The sky, it…it's _bleeding,_" his one thought was swiftly swallowed by a flood of screams, emerging from the enormous crowd of people fleeing from the bubbling clouds of dust and rocks that used to be a city. Wailing infants, crying children, moaning elderly, shrieking women, hollering men, canines, felines, lizards, birds—every type of person that ever was came stampeding out into the shattering valley as one giant wave of cerulean blue. Fox tried to life himself up again, but falling to the pressure in his legs, he shielded his face from the crowd as they ran in his direction, assuming each of them was out for their own survival, which was true and he couldn't blame them, but, to his surprise, he felt no pain as he watched the blue colored people flung their flailing arms and legs into his body. For a moment, he was distracted from his horror while watching these people phase through his body as they ran for their lives, leaving a trail of tears and echoing screams.

"I…I must still be a ghost," said the vulpine, looking at his paw. He touched it with his other paw, but, unlike what he expected, he felt solid fur and bone. "But…but I'm supposed to be dead! Are these people ghosts and…I still exist on a different plane?" A harsh whistling sound, like that of a cannon being fired, made the fox's ears twitch, and in response he looked up again at the sky and, to his terror, saw balls of fire, radiating red and gold, shoot through the sky with precise direction, as if they were alive, as if they were being directed towards the city by the Creator's will.

Still unable to move much, Fox bit his lip as the pitch of the people's screams heightened, some of them falling into chasms, some crushed by falling boulders, many not even able to escape the collapsing city. His green eyes, collecting red veins and water, caught sight of random people as they ran to a far off place, in the distance where ships, ones that highly resembled the Salvation and then some, elevated and shot off into the bloody red sky. Fox already figured few if any of those ships were able to get very far. His eyes lowering again, he found a family of pandas with dark blue fur painted over their ears and paws. He saw the children, identical twin girls, as they stumbled in the crowd and was mercilessly brushed away from their group. Their cries were muffled by the mass of every other voice, and Fox could barely stand it as their whimpers waned out of his hearing.

Every muscle in his body tensed, suspending him in a motionless state of awe, his eyes and mouth wired wide open. The tendons in his chest tightened until his heart almost protruded out of its inner cage. The immense trembling of the ground, the display of nature shattered by fireballs spit from the sky, causing the air to thicken, weighing down on him with an agonizing suspense. Eventually the gravity became too much for the vulpine to bear, celestial forces pounding on his shoulders until his abundant endurance finally wore thin, his sore body collapsing on an untouched strip of land, the fires and earthquakes still raging around the unconscious mercenary, the departing crowd of blue-colored people passing through his body.

"Uhh…ugh…" his eyelids slowly peeled apart, revealing to him a blurry picture of a combusted world; chaos and destruction had vomited all over a once beautiful society of sacred peace and spirituality. As soon as he realized where he was again, his eyes burst out of their sockets, his nerves jumped, and he defeated his numbness in a moment, standing upright and looking around. "I'm still here…I didn't feel anything, but it seemed so real…those people were so afraid. They were _dying_, and I couldn't do a thing about it…" he clenched his fist and in a glint of focused energy, it shook with anger. "I couldn't do anything…but I remember they passed right through me! Maybe I really am still a ghost…still, I have to do something. This might be just an illusion of Cerninia, but it's real enough, and I'm sure Krystal is somewhere here, otherwise…" unable to finish his sentence, he released his fist and moved onward.

It seemed like an eternity, but eventually Fox found himself treading through a sharp, crackling road of stone and gravel, surrounded by mountains of debris; what used to be the heart of the city. He continued to wander; around broken streets, disintegrated constructions, shattered homes, all still smoking, fresh from the destruction. A desperate feeling waving over the vulpine, knowing even a hero such as himself could do nothing about this catastrophe, making him drag his feet as time went on. He looked up, desperate to see anything else. The violent sky had faded, for the most part, back into its original blue color with a shade of orange mixed in, still a reminder of the immense forces beyond mortal comprehension. Clouds remained still as they lightly veiled over the sun, barely recovering from its entrapment. It was with this sight, a scene still mourning its loss, that the fox was surprised to see something new spring from nowhere. Light blue embers, glowing like bright lanterns with tails, floated along the soft breezes, all in one direction, moving ahead of Fox.

"Whoa…" he said in reaction, freezing in his steps. "Those kind of look like…like the Krazoa Spirits! Is that what they are…spirits? Could those be the spirits of all those people I saw? But…why are they coming back? What's going on?" Just when he realized their presence, a whole swarm of the strange balls of fire migrated north of where he stood, some even brushing against him, leaving a soft, chilling feeling against his golden brown fur. "It looks like they're all going to one specific place. I wonder if…maybe they're trying to lead me somewhere? Well, I don't have any other ideas, so…" and so, Fox willingly followed the school of spirits without a second thought. The cries that seemed to emanate from them, like the echoes of whales, helped to soothe his troubled mind.

The thought of her, however, kept him focused, and he would need to be.


	16. Ascent into Darkness

Fox dragged his feet across the crumbled and cracked ground, always heading in one specific direction, under the guidance of the pack of spirits. It seemed they had a much better idea of what they were doing than he was, so why not?His back hunched while he walked; it eventually occurred to him that he wasn't feeling as sore as he thought he should be. A sense of weariness weighed him down, but then he realized it was more of a mental fatigue. Worries about his team and this bizarre place flooded his thoughts. He went over the entire ordeal in his head, playing it over and over, from the time he woke up in the Great Fox to the time he landed in time to watch what appeared to be the re-destruction of Cerinia. The more he thought about it, however, the more he questioned his perception of reality. A few seconds before the fiery catastrophe, the vulpine recognized the city, since it was the same scene he saw when the strange simulator was activated, but how did he manage to get back here when he was in the middle of fighting a mutated, soul-sucking tree? And how _did _a tree that feeds on the souls of the dead come into existence, anyway? How was any of this possible? Maybe none of it is real; maybe this is all one, twisted nightmare, and in reality, he's still sleeping in the Great Fox's lounge room with…

Fox's back immediately straightened and his eyes bulged a little with the thought. What had happened to Krystal? He still hadn't found her, and the thought of it made him sick. Hefigured he wasn't capable of feeling any physical pain since the time where it seemed he died of suffocation, so he came to see that he was barely able to feel anything, yet there was still a sharp sensation cutting through his insides. He hated how he didn't know where she was, and he knew the pain wouldn't go away until he knew she was safe. While a large part of him, call it a heroic instinct, wanted to run out and search for the blue vixen by himself, he knew that, destroyed or not, this was still an alien place to him, and the school of spirits that flowed through the sky were his only lead of figuring anything out. So, reluctantly, he continued to follow them until they suddenly stopped in front of a large temple-like building. Pieces of the buttress had fallen off in chunks and were in pieces around the foundation, but compared to everything else, it was in good condition.

"So…is this it?" he asked, expecting no answer but still hoping for some sign as he put his paw to the large, cold door. The spirits began to hover around it, bonding together in a circular shape, like a halo dancing just above the sanctum's broken roof. Fox put his other paw on the door, fingers bending like they were about to make fists. A lump spurted in his throat as a peculiar, ominous aura seemed to drip from the stones and into his body. Looking skyward one last time, the blue color of the spirits became lighter and lighter until they were invisible, their shapes melting away in the sky, still swirling with the scent of blood. With that, the vulpine sharpened his brain so that he would no longer hesitate, and in reaction his hands hardened and slammed against the door, pushing the stone slabs away.

Immediately he saw her, a light blue blur bathed in the reflected lights of a glass stained window, and nothing more was in his sight. Not the pillars to his side or the pews in front, not even the raccoon priestess who gave him a menacing glass; he only saw her, just that poor blue vixen huddled onto the alter, clinging onto consciousness.

"Krystal!" Fox shouted upon seeing her, the sound of his voice jerking at the vixen's strings, swiftly pulling her up so she could sit and see him.

"Fox!" she cried in response, her eyes a faint red and swelling with tears. Trembling in her weakened body, she helplessly watched as he rushed up to her, boots practically gliding across the floor, only to be stopped dead by the raccoon's sudden relocation, her staff slicing through the air in front of him as he was barely able to back out of the way. With a small, backwards flip, the vulpine tumbled out of her range, grabbed his blaster and aimed it at her head while standing on one foot and knee.

"What do you think you're doing?" said Sappho in a voice that made her sound like she was in control of the situation.

"Don't move!" snapped Fox, ready to blast her head off with the slightest sign of hostility. The blue raccoon glanced back at Krystal, and when her vision returned to Fox she had a mischievously crooked smile on her face.

"Oh, I remember you! You're that Cornerian I saw with my little friend here earlier. And you've come to rescue her! That's so heartwarming in a pathetic sort of way…"

"Keep your mouth shut and put your hands up!" the vulpine yelled again, slowly standing up, steadily forwarding himself towards the alter, the priestess, in response, slowly moving back, all the while the end of his blaster remained in perfect alignment with the dark blue space between her slanted eyes. With a light puff of laughter, the raccoon lifted her paws up, still holding her staff. "Did you do anything to her? I swear, if you harmed her in _any _way—"

"Excluding the beating that I gave her? No, I didn't touch her," Fox growled, his advancing becoming more stern, but to little effect. Sappho still smirked, an almost seductive expression on her face. It was as if she wanted things to happen this way. "Trying to be the valiant knight, are we? Come to save your sweet blue maiden from the wicked old witch?"

"I told you not to talk…and stay away from her!"

"I'm sorry, child, but this little fantasy you think you're in has no happy ending. Not for you, anyway. You, your mate, even your little friends on the outside…their souls all belong to me now."

"You don't know what you're saying! I'm taking Krystal and we're getting out of here!"

"And how do you propose to do that? You don't even understand how you got here, much less how to leave. Even if you did manage, what of your bodies? You'll all just be spirits, trapped in limbo, doomed to float through space for all eternity."

"That's…not true!" said Krystal, mustering as much force as she could into her voice. "This may be your ship, this may all be your doing…but you're not all powerful and you're not the only one those powers!"

"Krystal…" Fox sighed, his averted attention making his targeting weak.

"Fox, I can fix this. I can channel spirits just as well as she can. You and the team…as long as you have the will to live, I can return your souls to your bodies. We'll be all right, I can do it…" Fox wiped his forehead with his free hand, almost laughing with relief, the sight making Krystal smile as well. "We'll…be OK," she said more to herself, "I can put this behind—FOX! Look out!"

"Huh?" said Fox, shocked by the vixen's sudden change of expression. In another instant he found Sappho's staff colliding with his face. "Whoa—ahh!" the rings that dangled over the head cluttered together in a screaming chorus as they watched the fox fall hard onto his side. "Ugh…" he mumbled, angry at himself for letting his guard down.

"I'm terribly sorry, but your little celebration is a little premature. Yes, all Cerinians have the power to channel spirits, but I'm a member of the clergy…" Sappho's voice began to break, from smooth and controlling to fiery and dictating. "…and _she's _just some lost little bitch without a clue! She probably can't even use her powers after all these years of wandering space and doing who-knows-what with all you filthy outsiders!"

Fueled by anger, Fox was able to quickly leap back onto his feet, his blaster once again in the priestess's face. "You think you could at least be a little more sympathetic towards one of your own! She had nowhere to go, and she's been looking for answers, but she knows Cerinia is gone and some of their teachings aren't practical, and you think _she's _the one who's clueless?"

"Fox, please! Be careful….ahhh…" Krystal desperately tried to get up from the alter she was placed on, because the last thing she wanted to be was a little helpless maiden, much less a sacrifice, but her arms trembled when she put the slightest force on them, her body covered itself in ache, making her aware that she could not do anything.

"Krystal, don't move! I'll take care of this!" said Fox with subtle confidence, bracing himself for whatever Sappho would throw at him.

The priestess answered the mercenary with a fierce growl, her pitch swinging high and furiously in conjunction with her staff. Fox dodged the attack with a quick leap backwards and ducked as another swing came in his direction. He repeated the actions several times as the priestess continued to swat at him, her grunts becoming shorter and more frustrated. Finally, when she had made another hard swing, forceful enough to knock him down again but leaving half her back exposed, the fox found the chance to fight back. In half a second his right leg was raised and he delivered a swift kick at her shoulder, left open as she still recovered form the wide swing. The priestess bashed her head onto a nearby pew, a g runt spewing from her mouth, and then she rolled a few inches through the aisle. The fox followed her, ready to aim while she was vulnerable, but with the staff still firm in her paw she managed to keep him away while she attempted to recover. Not threatened by such a maneuver, Fox walked right up to her while she still tried to get up, and before she could make another swipe at him, he grabbed it while she held it in the air, yanked it out of her paw, and threw it far to the other end of the pews, the rings screeching at their departure form their wielder.

"Enough of this!" Fox said forcefully as he swung his blaster at the fumbling raccoon. "Just give up already and _maybe _we'll try and help you!"

Sappho had her legs spread out along the aisle and her arms supported the rest of her body, hanging onto the pews, just as her hair hung over her masked face. As her harsh inhales and exhales slowly retuned to normal breathing, her quivering mouth twitched and turned crooked again. "Yes…you're right about one thing…" she said, "I've had…quite enough." Her eyes quickly shifting directly at Fox, his face stern and his aim steady, she gave him a sharp smirk like a switchblade and her arms flailed at him, her entire body floating up and across the aisle, swooping towards him. The fox's teeth flared as the raccoon's limbs hooked into his chest, entering his body but leaving no traces of blood like soft putty anchors. "I must have your soul, this very instant! I'll have no opposition from you any longer!"

"No! Stop it!" Krystal threw her head around furiously until she came across her own staff, discarded a fair distance away from the altar. The thought of her immense pain not even entering her mind, she sprinted for it, swiped it off the floor, keeping momentum as she ran for the middle of the aisle where Fox was being attacked.

"Grrr…stop…let go…of me, ahhh, grrr…." Fox clenched his teeth tightly as he tried to pull himself away from Sappho's bizarre assault, but she was everywhere; he could even feel her limbs spread out and separate into new tentacle-like appendages that eased themselves through the wrinkles of his brain. The pain, strangely enough, was minor; it was more of an invasion of his body that he feared.

"I will get stronger, I will live. You bastards have no right to be alive anymore. You were doomed the moment you got onto my ship!"

"No! Nooo! Get _off_ me!"

"Fox!"

"Kr…Krystal!" the vixen's voice eased his struggle, the sight her staff being pushed into the raccoon's neck, pulling her away, gave him comfort, but he could still feel his sense of existence being absorbed.

"Get off of him, you witch!" said Krystal, her voice grinding as she held the staff sideways, trying to unhinge Sappho from Fox by her neck. The raccoon gave a boiling growl in response, her voice no longer even resembling that of an intelligent being's.

"Enough of you!" Sappho slurred with a free limb that thrashed against the vixen's head, sending her flying to the end of the aisle. Krystal was ready to rise up and continue fighting, but in the time she tried to return, the raccoon raised another hooking limb and jammed it into Fox's heart.

"Foooooox!" Krystal was too late. With her staff still in hand and but an inch away, she watched Fox's mouth gape wide open as the tentacle rooted throughout his body, reading every thought and emotion, sending his consciousness into a deep pit of darkness, away from this devastating scene, leading to some place very different.


	17. Inner Worlds

The darkness that had devoured Fox was incinerated as quickly as it came, replaced by soft shades of gold, veiled by a soft white fabric. As soon as he recognized the snowy blanket that covered his vision, he immediately realized that the same material was all over his body. His backside was cushioned by a large mattress, and as he sank in, thoughts outside the bedroom he knew he was in flew completely out of his mind. He was lost among the white pillows, sheets and blankets. Thoughts of the priestess and her bizarre attack had blinked out of his memory in an instant. He had suddenly come to believe that he had been there through the entire night, in long, uneventful slumber, and he could stay locked inside this large silken cocoon for hours more, if he could, but something was telling his to rise from his cushiony chamber.

He started to lift himself up, only to feel a new softness press against his chest. A stream of blood came rushing across his face as he began to recognize the blue paw that was massaging him. While his body was still stiff from his deep sleep, the fox managed to twitch his head to the side to find Krystal lying beside him, smiling gently.

"…Krys?" said Fox, his voice also weakened by the slumber.

"Hmm?" she purred. The vixen was no longer in her traditional loincloth, nor was she wounded and crying. Instead, she wore a blue nightgown, short and thin as to show every curve she had, and to remind the male that lounged with her of their activities they had surely performed the previous night. It seemed that the ordeal with the priestess had never even happened, and the two foxes had been doing things that were much, _much _more pleasant.

Fox, not having any doubt that he had been sleeping safe inside his bedroom with Krystal, simply said, "Good morning."

"Morning, sweetheart." the vixen replied, rolling along her side of the bed and on top of the fox, back slouched and tail wagging, grinning mischievously as she put her muzzle against his.

"Uh, um…" Fox remained motionless, frozen not only in reluctance to wake up, but now in surprise. He gave her an awkward smile, encouraging her to continue.

"You're so cute," the vixen giggled, "you still act the way you did when we first met, even after we've been married for so long…"

"Heheh, it's only been seven years, that's not long. And well, I guess I can't help myself sometimes…" said Fox, acting as cool as he possibly could while running his fingers through Krystal's messy blue hair, "You're still as beautiful as ever."

Krystal only laughed in response, then lunged deeper for the fox's face, locking her muzzle with his. The male vulpine eased the tendons in his body, lying far back and enjoying such a state of bliss as she tickled the insides of his mouth with her tongue.

Slowly, and careful not to leave any traces of loose saliva, the vixen eased off of Fox and sat up straight in their bed. "We can have fun another time. Isn't today…?"

"Oh, right!" said the vulpine, immediately sitting up, his head swerving back from the window to the clock by their bed. "I almost forgot! And it's pretty late, we should get ready now."

Krystal couldn't help but smirk as she began to walk away from the bed and look for clothes in her closet. "Sorry, I didn't mean to keep you awake for so long last night."

"Likewise," replied Fox with a devious tone as he met the vixen in her steps and nuzzled against her face, his hands fastened on her hips and his muzzle making its way from the bottom of her neck to the back of her ear, making her squeal. "You know, we could be _fashionably _late. The guys won't care if we don't come for another hour or two…" Fox continued his advances, Krystal giggling and moaning the entire time, pushing him on, when they both froze at the sound of an infant's wailing, their hearts skipping a beat because it was so sudden.

"Oh dear…" said the vixen as she quickly grabbed a small, blue robe and wrapped it around herself as she walked out of the bedroom and into the hall. Fox, laughing off his disappointment, did likewise and followed her to the room adjacent to their own, listening to her soft coos, "It's OK, baby, don't cry," as she cradled a little puff of golden brown fur in her arms, the bassinette not too far away. Fox was about to look over Krystal's shoulder to see the baby, when he felt a forceful tug at his robe. He turned around and standing there beside him was a young kit, no older than six, with cerulean blue fur over most of his lithe little body, thick white fur over his mouth and on the tip of his tail and bright green eyes, much like Fox had, and short, messy white hair.

"Well, good morning," said Fox as he bent down to level with the blue kit, "How's my little trooper today?"

The kit held a bright red, plastic toy gun, strongly resembling an oversized blaster, and swung it forward so that it nearly touched his father's nose. "Zap!" the boy cried, "You're dead, Daddy!"

"Oh, so I am," replied Fox with a smirk, "Yup, you got me. Now I'm a ghost!"

"You're a ghost! Mommy! I turned Daddy into a ghost!"

"That's nice, honey," said Krystal, "but could you kill your father a little more quietly? Amber just went back to sleep."

"Besides, you have to get dressed," said Fox, "We all have to get ready. We're going to go see grandpa today."

"Yay! We're goin' to see grandpa!" the blue kit exclaimed.

"Boys!" Krystal hushed.

"Why are we goin' to see grandpa?" the little fox whispered to his father.

"Because today's his birthday," the father whispered back to his son, "We're all going over to have a party for him. Your godfather will be there, you know, and so will Uncle Falco and Slippy…"

"Yay! I wan' see Uncy Falco and Slippeee!"

"Oh, boys, really now!" said Krystal as she continued to rock the baby, her little turquoise eyes about to crack open again.

"You better get dressed now, Jesse. Do you think you still need help?"

"No'om! I can dress myself!"

"All right, then off you go now."

"Goin' to see grandpa too-day!" and with that, the blue kit happily marched out of the bay's room and back into his own, across from his parents' bedroom.

Standing upright again, Fox put his paws to his side, shook his head and laughed softly. "He's a good kid, but he's got too much energy. I hope Amber doesn't turn out like him when she gets older, or they'll wear me out."

"Oh, come now, Fox," cooed Krystal, "Jesse's a lot like you."

"Really? How is that? I fail to see the resemblance, except maybe the eyes and the hair…"

The vixen giggled. "Well, he's got your good looks, you know."

"Aw, you're just trying to make me feel better…" said Fox as he crept behind the vixen, mischievously rubbing his muzzle against her neck and licking behind her ear, relishing the sound of her laugh, especially with her sultry accent. "We _both _know they take on from you, you gorgeous thing, you."

"Oh, Fox, stop that!"

"Have I told you, you two are the most beautiful vixens I've ever seen?"

Laughing, Krystal managed to break away from Fox's grasp and face him, still rocking the tiny kit in her arms with care. "Go on, now, Amber's waking up and I have to feed her. You get dressed and I'll see you later."

"All right," and with that, Fox left the baby's room and returned to his own, thin rays of sunlight barely able to slip through the cracks of the blinds covering his window.

_This is…nice._

* * *

"Hey, Fox! Krystal! Guys, they're here!" a voice cried out from not too far away as the vulpine couple and their children drove in its direction. Steering to the end of the curb, the couple got out and started walking as soon as they could make out the three silhouettes standing outside the quaint, warm-looking house that rested on a hill not too far from the sea. The immense city of Corneria was clearly visible along the coast, the afternoon sunlight beamed against the city's towers, like a huge beacon in the distance, casting golden reflected lights onto the glassy ocean and all across the verdant land, all the way to where the vulpine couple and their friends stood. A cheery amphibian, a stout hare, and a smirking falcon, greeting as if they hadn't seen one another in years. This was how Fox saw it, what he believed to be true; he wasn't out in unfriendly parts of space and his friends weren't in danger; they were all here, with his family, with him, at home, where they should be.

_If only it could be like this…_

"Fox, hey! Great to see you again! How have you been doing?" said the elderly hare as he gave the fox a hardy hug, accompanied by a slap on the back.

"Hey, Peppy, you want to be a little gentler there?" joked Fox in response. Peppy laughed and then proceeded to greet the blue vixen, lightly patting her shoulder with his paw.

"Krystal, you're looking as lovely as ever." he said.

"Why thank you, Peppy." the vixen responded, lowering her arms so the short hare could look at the infant she held. Without hesitation, Peppy smiled and wiggled one of his fingers at the baby for her to play with.

"And how's the little lady, huh? Coochy-coochy-coo!"

"Hey, I want to see the baby, too!" exclaimed Slippy, standing behind the hare, jumping around, trying to get a good glimpse of the tiny kit.

"Wait your turn." Peppy responded.

"Aww, come on! Please?"

Fox slowly backed away a few steps so he could see the whole scene, and in his amusement he failed to notice Falco had been standing there by himself, waiting for him. "So what kept ya, Fox?" he said, "I thought we were all going to meet here at the same time. We got here an _hour _ago, you know, the time we all _agreed _to?"

"Wha? Oh!" said Fox, taken by surprise, he scrambled his thoughts for a decent answer, "Oh, I-I'm sorry, Falco. It's just that, uh…Krystal and I overslept, that's all. Actually, it was the baby who woke us up in the first place, so…"

"Uh-huh, sure, what_ever _you say…" the avian rolled his eyes.

"Jeez, are you ever going to trust me, Falco?"

"Well, ya haven't given me any good reason to, Foxie." Falco laughed, pleased at himself, when he looked down and saw the little blue fox that had been running around him since he got there, bursting ahead of his parents. Without either of them saying anything, Jesse pointed his toy blaster to the area between the falcon's two red-smothered eyes.

"Zap!" he finally said, his young voice filled with energy and joy. Falco, however, was not as excited.

"Ugh…cute kid ya got there, Fox,"

"Heheh, that's how Jesse expresses his affection. It just means he likes you."

"Oh, gee, don't I feel special?"

Fox laughed in response, glad that so many things, including Falco's sarcasm, hadn't changed after so many years. Strolling on the side of the yard a little, he turned and saw from the back of the house they were standing by, the end of a short, brushy grey tail.

"Hey!" he said, loud with enthusiasm. The tail reacted by going straight, and when its owner, a young grey dog dressed in a green jacket and ripped jeans, responded and walked the small distance to see who had called him, his tail began to wag. The dog had to lift his dark shades for a second just to make sure he was seeing correctly.

"Fox…Fox McCloud, is that you?"

"Hey, Bill. It's been a while."

"You're damn right it has!" Bill Grey, a friend and classmate of Fox's from his academy days, charged right up to him and slapped him on the shoulder, laughing heartily. "How have you been doing, ya crazy mother?"

"Heh, pretty well, pretty well."

"Hey, hey! Look who else showed up for the party!" exclaimed Bill as soon as he saw Jesse walk his way. He knelt down and rubbed his soft white head. "How's my favorite little dude?" All the kit did in response was stare at him with his wide green eyes until he pointed his toy blaster with his grey muzzle.

"Zap! You're dead, Uncy Bill!" he said in continuous victory.

"Aww man," the dog chuckled, "That's gotta be the fifth time you're dead-on crazy son has killed me, Fox!"

"Join the club," grunted Falco.

"Hey!" said a new voice, coming from the back, its deviously feminine sound making the avian shrug. The others turned and immediately saw Katt Monroe, lightly jogging in their direction, and then playfully pouncing on the falcon, wrapping her pink arms around his neck.

"Gah! Katt, cut it out!" said Falco, trying and failingto fight her off.

"Aww, but you were gone so long! I missed you!" the feline giggled.

"I went out front for what, five minutes?"

"Five minutes too many, sweetheart." she accompanied her sweet words with blithe little lickings on the bird's beak, making him look away in denial of the blush forming on his feathery face. Finding his flustered look amusing, Katt pushed his head so he would face her again, then she lunged for him, his beak (softer and more flexible than those of un-intelligent birds) reluctantly melting with her mouth.

_Huh, so they are together now? Took them long enough…_

"Hello, Katt," said Fox, almost hesitant to bother the cat with his greeting.

"Oh! Fox, hi, hi!" the cat replied as if she just noticed he was there, "Finally decided to show up for your own father's birthday, did you?"

"Hey, I wouldn't forget…"

"That's not what I meant, darling," she said with a mischievous laugh, even the other two did likewise. Fox slumped and laughed a little himself, admitting defeat; he always was an easy target when it came to his romantic life. "You _did _bring your wife and kids, didn't you? I haven't seen them in ages!"

"Yeah, Krystal has the baby, she's still in the front with Peppy and Slippy, and Jesse was here just a minute ago…I'm sure he's around _somewhere_…"

Katt didn't hesitate to rush over to the front, and her presence immediately brought on a burst of girlish giggles and coos. Bill followed, though in a more casual fashion, until he was bombarded by the blue kit, who seemed to have come from nowhere.

"Ah, no!" The dog cried.

"Zap!" Jesse said with excitement, waving his toy blaster at Bill over and over. "Zap, I killed you again, Uncy Bill!"

"Aw, you shot me again! I'm dead again. Ow, no I'm a ghost! Oh no, you killed my ghost, now I'm nothing! Ooh, I don't know why you keep shotting me, I'm nothing!"

Fox was about to go himself, laughing the whole time, when Falco, as always in some degree of isolation even with everyone around, decided to speak again.

"I'm really starting to worry about you, Fox."

"Huh? Why's that?"

"Because you have a family now. You have more at stake than the rest of us do."

"Well, I can't help it if I'm the only one who grew up," the vulpine said with an air of humor in his voice, not realizing the bird was trying to have a serious conversation, "I mean, we can't _all _be playboys like you and Bill."

Falco sighed, but tried to chuckle it off. "Yeah, I did always figure you to be one-woman kind of guy…and Krystal is a good woman, I swear I saw this coming from the second she got on the Great Fox after me. Still, it feels like just yesterday we were on our last mission together. I just hope you two are doing all right, with kids and everything."

"Wow, Falco, you're _serious_. You really are worried about me, aren't ya? Do you need a hug?"

"Hey, cut it out! Come on, you know what I'm trying to say. When was the last time we had a real job? This age of peace in the Lylat System is nice and all, _except _for us mercenaries. You and your dad beat Andross a while back, and with him gone there was a huge decrease in work, and now's there's close to nothing with Star Wolf out of the picture…"

"How are those guys, anyway?"

"Ah, Pigma and Andrew are on death row—they were accessories, in way too deep, they're done. Leon might get out on plea of insanity, but even then, the lizard boy will be in an institute for a good while…"

"And Wolf?"

"Haven't heard much yet. Not being executed, as far as I know, but he _is_ in jail. I think he could be freed soon if he keeps good behavior."

"I see…"

_Good. I can understand the other two, it was all so complicated...but Pigma, that traitor, and Andrew, trying to be like his damn uncle, they knew what they were doing. I could never forgive them._

"Anyway, I'm just saying you have a lot more responsibility now, what with a family and everything."

"Hey, I've _always _had a family, ever since Star Fox formed. Now that I'm married with kids, it's like the family has been extended."

"…Oh, I'm sorry, was that supposed to be cute or something?"

"Heh, well…don't worry about me, Falco. I'll pull through, I always have."

"Yeah, I guess so…"

"So where's my dad? Are we going to surprise him?"

"He already knows _we're _here, but considering how long you took 'sleeping', you might startle him by showing up," It was then that the bird pointed out to the edge of the backyard, about ten feet away from where they stood, where the a small wooden bench sat on the grass just before it slanted into an enormous strip of sand, leading to the ocean. On that bench, a small shadowy figure faced the giant sea, as if there was nothing else around it. "He dozed off just before you got here. Man, he and Peppy are really starting to get on in their years…"

"Jeez, Falco, when did you become such a worrier?"

"Since Katt dragged me into a relationship, I guess."

"Heh, well it's all good. There's no way either of them will die before Jesse graduates from the Academy, so we have plenty of time, what with the grades he's been getting. All right, let's regroup—my kids haven't seen their grandfather in a while…" and Fox sprinted off to the front where everyone else was still chatting, and, with another shrug, Falco reluctantly followed.

"So, Krystal, when are you going to run away with me?" asked Bill with a lecherous grin on his face and an arm around the vixen.

"Oh, Bill, stop that," replied Krystal, humoring the overly playful dog, while the others didn't bother to recognize his jests, "I have children now."

"Aw, just leave them with Fox! Give them something to remember you by, he'll be cool with it. Come on, you can't deny there's something going on between us. Why don't you leave the zero and go for a hero?"

"I already did that."

"Say wha?"

"If I recall correctly, you had asked me to run away with you _before_ I married Fox, and despite your offer, the wedding went on as planned."

"Ouch!" laughed Peppy, "That was harsh."

"Heheh, Krystal zinged you, Bill!" said Slippy.

"Hey, Bill," said Fox coolly as he re-approached the scene, "You're not being fresh with my wife again, are you?"

"What? Innocent ol' me? Fresh?" the dog responded, his eyes wide, "Of course not! She came on to _me_, and I was like, 'No way, you're married, it wouldn't be right'. I swear, dude."

"Oh, well then there's no problem," the vulpine laughed, "Come on, everybody, let's go see my dad."

The group steadily made their way to the brink of the land, with Fox as the vanguard, his steps being the fastest and most eager. The sound of ocean waves furling over the sand, foam softly spreading over the dark sand, Fox, a big grin on his face, hooked at his wife's hips and reeled her next to him, both of them smiling, the infant in her arms awake but in a state in serenity.

_She's such a good girl, and so beautiful, like her mother. I'm so lucky, everything's perfect…_

The bench on the edge of the yard stood watch over the sea while holding an older fox with dark golden fur and black sunglasses. His wide shoulders were slumped, his head knocking back and forth, soft breaths leaving his muzzle. Fox's heart began to beat a little harder as the back of his head became clear in close range. The salty winds inflaming his wet nose, he took one final exhale as he approached the back of the bench.

"Hey…hey, Dad?" Fox said as gently as he could while easing his paw on the older fox's shoulder, giving it the slightest nudge.

"Huh…hmm?" the older fox moaned as he reluctantly opened his eyes. When consciousness finally settled back into his dark-furred body, he turned his head, saw his son standing behind him, almost like the appearance of an angel emerging form his blurry dream world, and his sunglasses nearly slid off from his muzzle, his dark green eyes wide and misty. "Fox!" James exclaimed as he leapt up from his seat on the bench, "You came!"

"Of course I did! Happy birthday!" his son replied, lunging at him with his arms wide open, fastening himself tightly around his father, nearly squeezing the air out of him.

"Oh, thank you, son, I know how busy you are, I'm so glad you were able to come." said James, a blissful smile on his face while he re-adjusted his sunglasses.

"Don't be ridiculous—I'm never too busy to see my father. Have you been taking care of yourself?"

"Heheh, why do you always ask me that every time you visit? I'm fine, in the best shape of my life!"

"Yeah, sure, Dad."

"Hello, father," Krystal said sweetly as she slowly walked next to her husband and father-in-law. "Happy Birthday."

"Krystal! How's my beautiful daughter-in-law doing? Keeping Fox on a short leash, I trust?"

"Of course," she giggled.

"And how's my pretty little granddaughter?" James said as he looked over Krystal's shoulder with a warm embrace, watching the kit cradled in her arms swing back and forth into slumber, her big eyes fluttering, occasionally letting out tiny moans. "Aww, isn't she precious? She's so peaceful…" he lifted his head and saw Jesse sprinting across the yard, waving his toy blaster in the air. "…Unlikea certain grandson I have!"

"Grandpa!" the blue fox pup exclaimed, stopping cold in his tracks as he watched his grandfather sprint towards him and grabbing him in his strong paws.

"Hey, you like flying, Jesse?"

"Yeah! I wanna be a pilot like you and Daddy!"

"Well then, we'd better start training you!" James said as he catapulted his arm, with Jesse entwined inside, with the force of his back as he spun around as hard as he could.

"Woo-hoo!" Jesse squealed as he was flung around like a Merry-Go-Round, his arms spread out like wings. "Look, Mom! No hands!"

"I see, honey. You're doing a wonderful job!" Krystal said with a laugh, puttering her head against her husband's shoulder with a happy sigh, the two of them, all of them, indulging in this peaceful scene.

"Grandpa! Grandpa!" the kit said as his grandfather began to stop spinning him, "It's your birthday, right?"

"Why…yes! Yes, I believe it is!" James replied.

"Does that mean you're gonna get cake and presents?"

"Heh, well, I can only hope."

"There's only one way to find out, isn't there?" said Peppy suggestively, looking towards the house in front of them.

"Well then what're we waiting for?" exclaimed Bill with boyish enthusiasm, "Let's par-tay, people!"

When they were all inside, their bright smiles and the candles encircled around the already prepared cake illuminated the small lonely house along the shore. Laughter, singing and talking of fond memories ensued almost instantly. The room they had bunched together in seemed to burst with warmth, inviting, enveloping. Fox didn't want to leave it, didn't want this scene to end. Everything was just so wonderful, so perfect; it was almost hard to believe how well things were going when he thought about it, when his questioning of this world summoned the voice of a danger.

"You know, the thing about birthdays is…they stop once that person dies." The cold words of a bitter-sounding woman shot through Fox's ears, blasting through his eased brain. Suddenly, memories of defeating Andross alongside his living father, of overcoming every obstacle flawlessly with their team, of coincidentally meeting a beautiful vixen during a mission to save her planet, getting married, having a wonderful son, and then a daughter, of always succeeding, making everyone proud…it all washed away in a moment. Illusions of a false past shattered into a million pieces, and suddenly the vulpine was in a world he didn't belong in, a dream world.

_Wait…what's going on? What are you doing to me?_

"In the process of stealing your soul, I can see everything in your subconscious. This is actually taking a few seconds, going through every layer of your being. Right now we're in your superego."

_No! I won't let you take my soul! I have to free these poor spirits you're imprisoning! There's no way I'll let you get any more powerful!_

"So, this is the most sugarcoated machination your being can produce? How sweet…in a tacky, hopeless sort of way. And you're married to my pretty little hostage, I see! Ha, I knew you two were lovers."

_Just shut up, you crazy old hag, and get out of my head!_

"Touchy, aren't we? Is this by chance an unrequited love?"

_Enough! You're in denial! You're eating away at other people's souls, making them stay in limbo just so you can linger on in life! I won't stand for it!_

"I'd certainly like to see you try. Then again, what can you hope to do now that I'm inside of you? Maybe you'll think of something while I page through your ego, your basic state of mind…"

_Grrrr, no…stop…get out…_

* * *

Then, much like before, Fox's mind was clouded in a veil of darkness, of thoughtlessness, until he found himself trapped in a young, melancholy body. He was just a boy again, but for all he knew, he never was this age before, and this was the first time he mourned the death of his father, who had died in the sickening red skies of Venom just a few days ago.

He was only thirteen. His mother had died before he could even establish enough power to remember much of her, and now his father had been taken away from him. A traitor, a filthy, greedy swine known as Pigma Dengar and a villain known as Andross were behind the murder, and the only thing stronger than his burning hated was his guilt, his sadness that his hero was gone forever.

He was only thirteen. How ironic.

There he would stay on his bed for over a day, his movement limited to slight twitches, tosses and coughs. His once vibrant green eyes were bloodstained and full of mist, his head buried in the fluffs of his pillow, muffling his already jerking, congested breathing. His limbs were all limp, even his tail sagged motionlessly over the edge of the mattress he was melting in, never feeling anything. Still numb to the world outside his room of endless glum, the tiniest black-tipped bit of his ear perked off the pillow and into the air, reacting to the sound of two people talking downstairs, at least one he was able to recognize.

But what did he care? They were coming from the outside, foreign to his gloomy little world. Here was where he'd stay for all time, mourning the one person that truly mattered to him until he'd become like him. The talking stopped, a door shut, what business is it of his? Feet are clacking along the stairs, and it becomes louder, and still he waits for when this terrible life would finally loosen its cruel grasp on him, and he'd be free…

"Fox?" a voice broke in his room, following the rude swinging of his door. The vulpine recognized it as Peppy's, but it wasn't enough to make him care, to do so much as show any sign of welcome to the aging hare, no matter how caring his voice was. With a sigh, the rusty voice continued to speak, making the little fox wonder why he would bother wasting his breath here. "I just spoke with a social worker, Fox. You have a choice—you can go live in an orphanage until they can get you a foster home, or…you can come live with me."

Fox didn't give an answer. He curled himself into a ball of fur, further hiding himself, and waiting for Peppy to go away, so he could be left alone and resume waiting to wither away and die.

The hare persisted. "Would you like to stay with me, Fox? It'll be fun! You don't have to go back to school just yet, if you don't want to. We could…go see a movie, or we can go get something to eat, whatever you want. We can even invite your friends over! Won't that be fun?"

Still nothing, the golden brown hairs on his head standing up, practically telling the hare to be on his way, but instead, he marched right to his bed, well aware of the unwelcoming moans that were directed at him.

"Come on, now, Fox, if you'll just listen…"

"I don't want to go back to school. Ever. I don't want to go anywhere, I'm not hungry, and I don't want to see any of my friends.I don't want to live in an orphanage, with a foster familyor with you. I want to stay here. So just leave me alone."

"You can't seriously believe you can stay here in your room forever."

"Just watch me."

"Even when another family moves in?"

"I'll lock the door."

Another sigh, the hare rubbed his paw from his nose over his head, pulling back his long ears and watching them flop back into place. He then sat himself down on the sloppily made bed of green sheets, hoping that the words he had prepared would be the right words. "Look, I know it hurts, you have every right to be sad, angry…be angry at me, if you want to, that's fine. Maybe if I had done a little more, he'd still be here…if anything, it should've been me who died, not James. He had so much going for him, a wife, a son…but now…" He looked down and saw the little fox tense himself tighter. "…But you can't just lock yourself away like this, not forever. I know it's painful now, but all wounds heal over time, if you let them."

"No!" he shouted, the volume slightly softened by the pillow still smothering his face, the force in his voice cracked and shaken with more coughs and jerking of tears. "You don't understand! He was my dad and now he's dead! He's gone and he's never coming back! What am I supposed to do? I'm all alone, he left me by myself! Now, I…now…"

"Now, just…you stop this right now!" the stern command from the normally gentle-speaking hare startled the vulpine enough to make him sit upright, his face still a mess, but attentive. "I know you lost your dad, and that's…a lot, it's probably nothing I can imagine, but don't you think for a _second _that you're the only one who's suffering. You know I saw your friends the other day, and they asked me when you were going back to school. They're all so worried about you! And…how do you think I feel, huh? I was _there_. I lost my best friend…that might not be as a big a deal as losing a father, but damn it, it's close!"

The boy lowered his head, as if in shame, his little black nose still sniffling. He had opened his mouth, jaws shaking, but he no longer even had the strength to speak. All that came out were more tears.

"If I could go back, if only I had known, I would've done something, something more. In a situation like that, you can't help but think of your own survival, and besides, it was _James_. I thought for sure he'd be right behind me, maybe he had already escaped…but it was different that time. Still, no matter how many times I replay it in my head, no matter how badly I want to change the past, I just can't. I would change it ALL for your sake, but I can't, all right? The only thing I can help is here and now. Fox, I feel guilty enough as it is, but do you have any idea how much it hurts when I see you like this? It's more than I can bear…and I know if you keep hiding away like this, I'll never be able to forgive myself."

* * *

The clarion rings of the recess bell echoed throughout the schoolyard as children came spilling out of the building's doors. Alone as usual with books still in his arms, a young Slippy Toad wandered the curb by the front of the building, watching as the others spread out on the yard and played games with each other. His wide eyes eventually found themselves looking towards the sidewalk next to the school, and that's where he spotted Fox, watching over the parking lot for the buses and faculty, looking farther than the entire school area and beyond to some unknown distance.

In utter delight, the amphibian rushed up to him, but once he was within two feet of him, he became more aware of his black-tipped ears that sagged so low they almost touched his neck, and his tail that rolled along behind him in an act of boredom. He's still really upset about it, he thought, and maybe he should be the one to help cheer him up. He had to try anyway; he couldn't stand to see his only real friend be so depressed.

Swallowing his nervousness, Slippy took a few steps closer to him, but always behind him, and spoke, "Hey, Fox! I'm glad you're back in school, I haven't seen you in a while!"

Fox barely acknowledged him with a slight nudge of his head, turning it back to look at nothing after only a second. "Yeah…, I know..." he said apathetically.

The toad rubbed the back of his head in discomfort, eyes wandering about, looking for something to say. "Well, uh…oh, hey! Do you need help catching up with your work? We have a test coming up, you know, I-I can help you study!"

"No thanks…"

"Are you sure you don't want any help? You think you'll be OK?"

"No, I don't. I just…don't care anymore, it just doesn't matter."

"But, you'll get held back if your grades drop too much!"

"Well, fine then! What's it matter, anyway?"

"But…"

"Look, I just…don't want to talk right now. School isn't really the biggest thing on my mind."

Slippy hesitated, almost sure what he was about to say would make him mad. Still, with a shaking voice, he said it anyway, hoping it would have some impression on him. "I know you're still sad about your dad, but…well, I'm sure he wouldn't want you to fail because of him…"

The vulpine violently threw his head in his direction, his small pointed teeth glaring. "Oh, shut up! What the hell do you know, anyway?" the boom in his voice pushed him far back with a force that nearly knocked him to his feet. The boy looked at him, dumbfounded, ready to burst into tears like an infant, and he looked away, practically disgusted. "You wouldn't know, all right? You still _have _your dad, you just wouldn't know…"

"I…I-I know, but…"

"But nothing! Just go away already, will ya?"

"But Fox, I…I wouldn't know, you're right. If I lost my dad, I don't know what I'd do…I'd probably be worse off than you, though, because you're strong…" The fox still had his back and his head turned away, but the amphibian talked anyway. "That's why I'm so glad you're my friend, you know? You stand up for me, you help me when I mess up, and you defend me when the other kids pick on me. That's why, it's really weird seeing you so unhappy."

"Oh please, Slippy! I only did those things because no one else would!"

The toad bit his lip. "…It's OK, you don't mean that, I know you don't. I'll leave you alone, Fox, but I just hope that…you'll be able to smile again soon, because I won't be happy until you're happy. So…please try and feel better…please?"

* * *

One night, Fox could not sleep again; he heard something unusual, something disturbing the usual silence in the darkened house. He followed it, softly down the stairs, slowly through the halls, then he looked over, through the door, and saw Peppy crying. He was just there, sitting by himself, slouched in his chair as he looked out the large window, out into the desolate, starless skies. He could just make out his flopping ears in the darkness, and his voice was jilted as he choked on his own words of regret and guilt.

It was then that he realized how selfish he had been, how he neglected all the people who were still there with him, caring for him. It was then he saw that he was not the only person who had suffered this loss.

* * *

"So that's it? You're just…_quitting_?" said Bill, outraged at the news he had just received

"Yeah…I am." The fox replied, trying to ignore the fact that his friend was so shocked he felt the need to remove his shades.

"Well, _why_? I don't even know where this is coming from! What's going on with you, dude?"

"I just don't want to be a solider anymore. There's no reason for me to stay in the Academy. I'm sorry, but whatever was making me try to get in the military before, it's gone now."

"Look, listen, dude, you're still getting over your old man dying. It's OK, you don't know what you're saying."

"I _know _what I'm doing, Bill. Don't try to act like you know better than me."

"I'm just worried, man, is that so wrong? You're my friend, and I don't want you to do things you'll regret later. I know it still hurts, but you can't let it get the better of you."

He shook his head, disappointed at his friend's unsupportive reaction. "I'm sorry you feel that way. This is how I feel about it, and it's not going to change. I've decided I've got to do things differently, take another path."

"But…but this used to be your _dream_. We were gonna be the best soldiers this school had ever seen, we were gonna do it together!"

"Well, things change, and I guess I've changed. I realized that…I've been selfish the past couple days, just a mess. I know that you guys still care about me, I know everyone's been really worried about me, so I want to try and prove myself. I need to learn to do things on my own again, and I've decided that there's something I need to do, it's just not what I originally had planned."

"What are you talking about, exactly? What is this 'plan'? You're not…are you trying to tell me you're gonna be a mercenary like your old man?" Fox didn't respond, just took a deep breath and stood tall in front of him. "Oh…so that's how it's gonna be, huh?"

"Sorry if I'm disappointing you, Bill, but…this is what I want to do now, this is just something I have to do. But you have to promise me…that you'll become the best solider in the Academy, for the both of us."

He paused for a moment, not sure how he felt about his best friend's revelation, but he swallowed down his initial feelings and fought a smile. He put his hand on his shoulder, letting him know he would always be around. "Yeah...You got it, buddy."

* * *

The team had been formed, official for about a year. Things were going Fox's way, and even though he would get shaken thinking about what happened to his father, he felt strangely at peace, sure that he was a lot happier being a mercenary than he ever would've been as a member of the Cornerian military. It was at this time, the peak of his satisfaction, when he could just about say everything was all right again, that a mysterious avian, just a little older than himself, came from what seemed like nowhere.

"So, when am I going to get an Arwing of my own?" he said.

"Heh, somebody's eager," Fox replied, "I know you're a competent pilot, but are you sure you're ready to fly on your own?"

"Are you kidding me? No shit I'm ready! Come on, I wanna start shooting down bogies and blasting, uh…I mean, hey, all to defend the Lylat System, right? Those enemies won't wait for us."

"Sure, whatever you say," the vulpine said, humoring the bird's rashness, "We should be able to get you an Arwing in a couple of days…after a little more training, of course."

"Humph. What are you so careful about, anyway? You've seen me, I'm ready now!"

"Well, the thing is, I'm the leader of this team, and it's kind of my job to look out for all my teammates. I've taken a look at your records, Falco, you might be strong but you're also reckless."

"Heh, so you've heard about me?"

"About you being a roguish gang leader who decided he wanted to fly? Yeah, I have, that's why I'm concerned. The skies aren't like the streets, and you won't be able to get through a fight so easily."

"Pfft, I still think you're taking this _way _too seriously. Is this what the last leader of Star Fox was like? I mean, jeez."

Fox stopped in his tracks, the avian discomforted by his sudden cease in his pacing. He watched as his hands tightened together in fists and his eyes squinting, as if trying to hold something back.

"Uh…is something wrong?" he said in a tone less than worried.

"The last leader," the fox started, "Has been dead for a few years now."

"Huh? Really? It was a long time ago, let me see if I can remember. I think his name was uh…something McCloud, err…"

"James McCloud," Fox faced the bird directly, eyes completely focused on his.

"Oh, right! It was….oh…." Falco realized the mistake in his words. He suddenly remembered the old leader he had heard f in the past looked a suspicious amount like the vulpine standing in front of him. "Oh, shit. Look, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"It's…all right, forget about it," Fox replied, shaking off the tension he had been holding onto, laughing at himself. "I've learned something since my father died…"

"Yeah, you wouldn't still be dwelling on it, right? I mean, it's not like you can change what's already happened."

"That's it."

* * *

With every vision, passing faster and faster with each one, they became less like consecutive flashbacks, and reduced to swift voices in his head. He could almost feel his body, his real body, quivering at his own thoughts, produced beyond his control…he couldn't control himself? What sense does that make? Watching his own memories, the words of his loved ones…is this what happens when you die? Is this what you hear as your soul departs?

"Fox," said Peppy's voice, "I want you to know…that you're never alone. Your friends, I…we're all here for you. We'll get through this."

_I'm glad you were there for me…_

"It's good to see you smile again," said Slippy's voice, his happiness making his voice more high-pitched…but it was still a comforting sound to hear.

_Even though I tried to push you away…_

"That's OK, you just get out there and do what you want," said Bill's voice, "Heh, I'm just glad to see you on your feet again, man."

_You stayed by me, all of you, and for that…_

"It's not like mourning a person for so long ever made them come back," said Falco's voice, "Gotta live for here and now, am I right?"

…_I am forever grateful._

"Fox," one last voice, somehow distant, he hadn't heard it in so many years, but its depth, its tone, the comfort that waved over him as he heard it, was something he'd never forget. His father had said to him, "I'll be proud no matter what you do. As long as you're happy, that's all that matters."

"Well what is it?" said Sappho's voice, shattering Fox's prism of nostalgia. "What is it that you want, already? How deep do I have to go before you surrender?"

_No, stop already! I won't give up, I won't let you take another soul!_

"You can't stop me, you know that. You may be a little more stubborn than others, but it only adds up to another second of work in real time. No one is complex. Everyone wants something, it's part of nature. I simply have to go in deeper. Once I know your deepest desires, your soul will be mine."

_Enough, stop…stop this already! They're my memories only! Leave them alone!_

"If you really must persist, you leave me no choice but to delve into your id, your most primal cravings, the very core of your earthly existence…"

_Stop, stop…no more, you crazy bitch!_

* * *

"Well, Fox," it almost seemed the voice of the priestess had morphed into that of Peppy's, but even if that was true, Fox couldn't tell, the switches in the deep chasms of his mind and the times when he could be conscious in the present were distorted. He had no control, it moved too fast, it was like he kept going in and out of a coma.

_Yeah, Peppy…what is it?_

"Tell me, are you happy with your life?"

_What kind of question is that? Of course, I'm happy. I'm with you, my friends, we're a team, and because of you all, we've defeated countless enemies, including Andross. My father…I hope I've made him proud._

The vulpine detected a sense of distance in the old hare's voice as he chuckled a bit, as if that he had misinterpreted his question. "I'm sure he is, Fox, but…well, it's not about what James wanted. Now that the Lylat System is at peace again, this is a good time for you to pursue what you want. Just think about it for a minute, what is it that you really want?

_What's he acting like this for? I'm perfectly happy the way things are. I like saving people, I like being a part of Star Fox. I already have what I want…don't I?_

"Heheh, I know what Peppy means," snickered Falco, "Maybe I'll explain it to you when you're older, McCloud."

"Fox?" said yet another voice, a much newer voice, the sweetest sounding one yet. In a flash of light the vulpine found himself in a bare, dimly lit room, the pink sheets of the bed in the center grabbing his attention in an instant, but swiftly his were averted from even the that to gaze upon the person, a female body with blue fur and a large white veil over her head, sitting atop that bed. The veils covered her eyes, but he could tell she was looking directly at him, into him. His body was frozen, helpless to approach her, even though he felt compelled to. Even though his limbs seemed numb, he could feel his eyes shaking, observing her delicate paws as they grabbed the white and pulled it over the pearly tiara on her head.

_Krystal?_

"Fox," she said again. She has such a lovely sounding voice, he couldn't help but think. Her movements made ripples in the soft pink sheets as she shifted from a sitting position to getting on hands and knees, her eyes bulging, begging for him to come closer. "I…"

"Youand your little matemake me positively sick, you know that?" Sappho interrupted again.

_I'm so tired…_

"That's what supposed to happen. Future, past, present, what cannot be, what can, what is real and what is not, all matters of the universe entwined in every living being's body, you are no exception. Now tell me what it is you want, right here and now! Show me your id!"

* * *

Another flash, a shudder of time when he was conscious, hoping that if anything this would be the last time he'd be tortured, Fox looked down and his eyes spurted out upon seeing such a deep shade of red smothering his mellow-colored paws. Watching the tiny streams of crimson trickle between his fingers and through the creases in his palms, he instantly knew the blood he saw was not his own.

In the spaces of his nails, he followed his blurry vision to where the body of his nemesis, Andross himself, lay not as a seemingly omnipotent dictator figure he tried to be, but just a pitiful ape man soaking in a pool of his own blood. That blood that surrounded the villain's body formed a straight path, a clear river of carmine pain and suffering leading right to where the fox stood. He was the one, the gracious and noble hero, who had killed him; he knew right then and there it was he who had brought upon the death of that disgusting creature, and not a weapon in sight, he had done it with his bare hands…and what delight he took knowing that he did. Thoughtless slaughter like something a wild animal would do; what a fitting end for such a vile monster, not even deserving an honorable death.

A quick look to each side, carcasses of Andross' cohorts were also scattered about the ground, their motionless bodies slightly less mutilated. Vile things, almost as despicable as their master, he recognized all of them, traitors, murderers, cackling bunch of bastards; they deserved the worst torture they could get.

Himself? He was merely serving justice, those beasts, especially their leader, they brought it upon themselves. Watching their bodies, remaining forever still in pools of their own evil, curdling blood, doomed to rot away as their souls were banished to Hell, he, the hero, stood and grinned. He had been craving to take their lives, and now that the deed was done, he was satisfied, and if somehow a demonic force would bring them back to life, he would gladly slash through their skin ten times worse. He'd even go down to the Netherworld himself and kill them all over again if he got the chance.

"Looks like someone has a grudge," said the priestess in a devilish voice, "Then again, that is the way with all males, isn't it? Defeat, kill, destroy anyone who stands against you, all in the name of foolish, testosterone-drive pride."

_You're one to talk! You can't control me!_

"Who said anything about controlling? I'm showing you what's inside you, the deepest darkest pits of your soul, just before I can claim it! Don't like what you see? There's still one thing left, one default craving of every male…"

* * *

Fox'sbrain cringed, desperately trying to hold onto his own body, trying to retain control, but in his helpless struggle, the black turned into a sultry red, the creases not trickles of blood, but seaming in silk. He could see his paws clear in front of him, clinging with bestial force on the edge of the mattress. His state of sensibility blurred as pale blue face became visible between his muscles arms. He knew it was Krystal, that she was lying beneath him, pressed against his body, but somehow he didn't care that she looked like she was in pain, that she gave out virginal cries, mourning her shattered purity. He could feel her nails dig into his back in a vain attempt to resist him, but the power of his instincts, of this primal desire, was too overwhelming for her to rebel against. And as tears swelled in her wide teal eyes, she gave out a final yell in defeat, in the loss of values, giving into the dark needs of the beast.

That was enough. Fox couldn't take any more. His fatigue leaked beyond a simple wearing of the body, but he was already dead. He was already a ghost; if he gave up here, that would be it, and that was not an option. He was tired, to the point where it hurt just to think against the twisted display Sappho made him watch, but he couldn't let her win. With every particle of willpower he had left, whatever sense he had that she must not take away, every fiber that truly made him who he was he pulled together, forming a resistance against the priestess' invasion...

* * *

"ENOUGH!" he shouted, exerting all his power, ripping free of her grasp. Her tentacles loosened and unhooked themselves from him, leaving no holes or scars.

"W-what? How did you? How could anyone possibly…?" The raccoon was stunned, knocked to the ground, on her knees in the aisle, her eyes wide with fear, unable to comprehend how this one person, this insignificant mongrel, could possibly resist her. Yet there he stood, the fox was freed, and he stood before her, glaring at her fiercely, mercilessly.

"Fox!" Krystal exclaimed with great relief, tears of joy forming in her eyes. "You're all right! I had just gotten back my staff, when you broke free! I'm so glad…ah…"

"Krystal, don't move," said Fox, grabbing the wounded blue vixen and easing her down on top of the alter, taking her staff, "I'll finish this."

And he was a fox of his word.


	18. Departure of the Lost Souls

"I hate this!" said Falco as he continued to fly circles around the monstrous tree, loosing count some time after thirty.

"Hmm?" the old hare, with his head down and his arms folded, barely acknowledged the falcon's blurts of impatience.

"Just floating around like idiots while Fox is doing who _knows _what! I can't stand it!"

"What's the matter?" said Slippy "Can't stand going five minutes without blasting someone's brains out? Heheh."

"…You better shut the fuck up, Slippy. I'm in no mood."

"You could just tell us what you've been doing the past four years while we wait. Since you never bothered trying to make contact with us, I'm sure it'll entertain us for a while."

"Do you _like _pissing me off, frog boy? 'Cause that's just what you're doing!"

"Will you two knock it off? I swear you're like two children!" hollered Peppy, "I'll admit…when Fox went alone against Andross, I thought that would be the last time I'd worry about like him like that." Unlike the other two, Peppy remained motionless in his Arwing, his head down, as if he was waiting, and he spoke with a deep, reflective tone. "We're a team, but…we felt helpless."

"We shouldn't have to be! He could be in serious danger for all we know! We should go in there already and see what's going on for ourselves!"

"Falco!" the avian paused, halted in the middle of his verbal rampage by Peppy's surprisingly serious voice. "We have to respect Fox's wish. He's our leader, after all."

"But…we could _save_ his life!"

"…We could _also_ put him in danger. He wanted to go by himself…he didn't want to put our safety in jeopardy, and that's all we need to know."

The bird slumped back in his cockpit, folded his arms and looked away with discontent. "Fine, whatever…but it _still _pisses me off."

"Oh, _everything _pisses you off! Just get over it, will you?"

Falco just sat back, his eyes wide; he hardly expected the others to fight back to whatever he said. Something like this, he figured, was surely a sign of tensions rising.

"…Don't worry, guys," said the amphibian in an attempt to boost morale, "It hasn't been all that long since he went in…and we've seen worse than this. I'm sure Fox is just fine! Who knows? He could be on his way out right now!"

* * *

Elsewhere, in that massive trench, running deep within monstrous bark like a fatal scar, where the image of a world still existed by the power of a thousand souls, a thousand memories, a shriek shot across the silent skies as the priestess who transcended death was sent flying across her precious sanctum, rolling between the pews as she landed.

"Had enough?" her vulpine attacker said with a stern voice. The priestess only growled in return as she leapt back to her feet and lunged to where he stood. The clangs of metal resounded throughout the empty sanctuary. The priestess channeled such violent force through her staff it whooshed like a storm's wind with every swing and created a sparking flash of light with every time it made contact, battering against another staff. Her opponent, however, her vulpine attacker, fended off each blow with a look of indifference, and the thought that he pitied her enraged her all the more. As time went on, her anger contaminated her focus until all that was left was a seething, bloody urge to destroy the one who stood in her way. With one swing, powerful enough to knock one's head off, she exerted all the energy she had left. The sound of the rings attached to the head of her staff seemed to slow down as they barely swerved in front of the fox's face, the light chimes prolonged, suspended in air, almost haunting. The dodge nearly made the vulpine fall on his back, but was able to recover with a swift step back, and as the staff returned to the side of its master, he took what little time he had to finish this pointless fight. Her energy-consuming rage slowly leaving her body, abandoning her as a poor, frustrated woman, she staggered, her steps slow and shaky, and she became helpless, unable to avoid the vulpine as he swiped his staff across her chest and knocked her down with a forceful kick to her stomach. The raccoon priestess's eyes protruded from her dark blue mask, and with a deep moan, she fell back in shock.

The priestess turned herself around, holding her stomach and face to the floor, denying something like this could happen, but as the disgrace of defeat inevitably sank sinking in, it became apparent to Sappho that she wasn't as powerful as she thought herself to be. Escaping death while her ship mutated around her may have been quite a feat, but as shivers began to crawl up her limbs, every strand of fur facing down to the ground like blue pins hung from a pile of sweat and gasps, it occurred to her that she couldn't do so much as win a fight, even with a random mercenary, without another body. As she gripped her stomach tighter to hold the pain, she wondered if she was bleeding, but then…was she still _able _to bleed? Was she even feeling pain right now, or was it all in her head?

In this state, the priestess realized, she was not dead, nor alive. She was able to retain a solid form in her manifested memory, but what good was that now? Since the mutation, her aging process had slowed down, but whether or not she was immortal was yet to be seen. Even if she was, though, it was at too high of a price—her freedom. Maybe she could live on forever, but it would have to be this way, trapped for all eternity inside this ship, once pride of her planet, now a parasitical monster due to this unholy transformation. How did she go about deserving this curse? She had tried to save as many people from a supposedly gruesome, and unavoidable fate, and for that not only was each person killed and she was forever trapped within the walls of the ship, with only the hollow memories of her home to ease her sanity.

Her ears flicked as a heavy boot stepped forward, proceeding through the aisle with a steady series of clunks. Her eyes widened, the wrinkled rings of her distraught apparent even through the darkness of her natural mask, as she turned her head and saw the mercenary, that worthless outsider who should've submitted to her just like everyone else on this accursed ship. And yet…he didn't. He was somehow able to fight her off and keep his soul. How was that even possible?

"Sappho," said the mercenary, a vulpine whose golden brown fur implied that he was an outsider, dressed in a green jumpsuit, bone white jacket and chunky black boots that implied that he was a fighter. "You know…we don't have to fight…we can help you."

No, she thought, it would not end like this. It was far too late for any of the other passengers, but it was still possible for her to live on! Of course…if she could get out of this beast, at least her escape attempt would not have gone _completely _in vain. All that she needed was another body, one that still existed on the plane of mortality so that she may use it to return to life, to be reborn, to live on in the name of every lost soul that boarded the Salvation.

"How _dare _you?" spurted from her mouth, her arrogant tone disproportionate with her wobbling body, fighting just to stand up again. "How dare you insult me like that? I don't need any assistance from you! If you didn't already know, I was just about to help myself until you barged in!"

"…You know I can't let you take Krystal's body." said Fox, the sense of pity for her in his voice infuriating the priestess.

"P-priestess…" said Krystal, her voice soft and frail as she sat up straight on the altar, an arm outreached to the aisle.

"Oh, shut up! Both of you!" said Sappho, her neck snapping, teeth clenched together. "What do either of you know? You have NO idea…what it's like…to be stuck here for so many years. I'm the only thing here that's real! My memories are the only thing keeping me sane…"

"That's why we want to help," said the vixen as she eased herself off the table, a light wobble coursing through her slender legs. Fox watched as she first attempted to walk again, holding out his hand for her, his voice heavy with concern.

"Krystal, you shouldn't…"

"No, Fox, it's okay, I'll be fine," she said, making the fox step back while she limped closer to the priestess, limbs still twitching with anger. "Lady Sappho…you've hurt me, but I know it's only because you're trying to get out. I haven't had it easy since Cerinia was destroyed, but…I was lucky enough to live on…and perhaps I've taken that gift for granted, wasting those years making myself more miserable. But you attempted to do something truly noble…and not only was there the heavy burden of all those lives gone, but…then this happened. I can't imagine what something what that would be like, and for that I'm sorry…"

"Enough!" Sappho growled, flicking her staff as a last resort to keep intruders at a distance. The vixen, in her fragile state, fell back in response, and Fox was close enough to catch her before she leaned back too far. Gripping her staff with any bits of strength she had left only to find she couldn't make a full fist around it, her paws shaking, her head down and her breathing broken. How could she become so weak in such a short amount of time? "Enough…what do either of you know? Youth is wasted on the young, neither of you…could possibly know…"

"Lady Sappho, please…"

"Don't touch me! Don't come any closer! Just stay away! Don't…just leave me alone! You've ruined everything! I was so close…I could've lived again…The will to live…but the council was right! Just go, you traitor! You'll die sooner or later and then it'll be the end of all of us! You can blame that filthy outsider for your death!"

"I…"

"Krys, she's not going to listen to us," said Fox, "We should just get this over with. There's nothing else we can do."

"…Yes…you're right. This is the right thing to do…" said the vixen.

"Are you OK?"

"What? Yes, I'm fine…"

"Don't worry. I said I'd take care of this, and that's just what I'm going to do." With that, the vulpine mercenary eased off his grip of the vixen and marched directly towards the raccoon, huddled in her cloak, twitching. Her head shot right up to face him as he approached again.

"You…bastard!" she squealed. "Because of you, I'll never leave this accursed ship! Damn you…damn you and all of your kind!"

Fox watched as Sappho cursed under her breath on all fours, her body still shaking. The feeling of mercy had completely left him; refusing any help, lashing out at sweet Krystal, he no longer felt any remorse for her, and this had gone out for just long enough. "Are you done?" he said, "I'd like to get out of here."

In an attempt to cleanse herself of her anxiety, Sappho, pushed her upper body from off the floor, knelt straight, closed her eyed and took a deep breath, from which an unexpected snicker slipped out. "Heh, fine, end this already. I guess I've been dying ever since I tried to escape my fate, no point dragging it out any more. I'm just a pawn who stayed on the board longer than I should've, and even without me, the game will continue…" the two foxes were unnerved by the raccoon's sudden change in tone; from rattling and uneven, to smooth, almost sultry. Seeing this, she gave another soft laugh. "Heheh, neither of you even realize why our two races were separated in the first place, do you? Then again, only the council and higher members of the clergy in Cerinia had any idea…and here you are expecting to go home all safe and sound? Ha! If only I could leave this ship and see the looks on your faces when you realize how mistaken you are!"

"That's _it_!" said Fox, his swift words simultaneous with the thrust of his arm, the end of his staff piercing through the priestess's chest.

As a frail, sharp scream slipped form out of her mouth, the priestess and her entire sanctum became illuminated with a soft, bluish glow, as if lights from within were flowing out by the summons of her final breath. Fox yanked the staff from her body, breaking the final chain of her mortality, releasing her from the hollow prism of memories within the ship. With that one, smooth motion, the glow that was being produced around the two foxes became brighter until only faint outlines of the priestess and the sanctum could be seen, and then, finally, there was nothing left of them but a massive light.

"What…what's going on?" said Fox, looking up in wonder as the entire scene, all that the priestess had remembered, was engulfed by the eerie, yet enchanting glow. It eventually separated into millions of tiny sparkles, like a sea of blue stars. Lifted from their material suspension, the stars flew upward with a gentle speed, the red sky paling in their radiance, and they gathered into one giant ball of light.

Fox's ears flicked at the sound of Krystals' sandals shuffling across the ground. The floor was still disintegrating, and every sound the two foxes made was amplified, as if they were standing in an empty room.

"The spirits are finally able to depart," said the vixen, "and with Sappho gone, this illusion is coming apart."

"What'll happen to the ship, then?"

"I'm not sure…but if the tree's been feeding off the souls of the passengers, I assume it'll die once they're gone, and the ship will lose all power."

"You…knew about all that?"

Krystal brushed the bangs from out of her dusted face, looking straight at Fox. She gave a light, sincere laugh, her eyes sparkling. "I'm Cerinian, too, remember? I'm familiar with this technology."

"Eh…heh, yeah, that's right."

"Fox?"

"Y-yeah?"

"I need you to hold on to me. We're going home."

"Home?"

"Corneria City…that's where you live, right?"

"Ah! Yeah, right…of course." Though somewhat hesitant, the fox tightly gripped at the vixen's soft blue paw, her smile ever the wider as she crossed her fingers with his. The vulpine mercenary lost hold of his heroic disposition, as well as his control of the blood rushing through his face, as Krystal tugged his arm. She grabbed the staff from Fox with her free hand (in his flushed, dumbfounded state, it was easy for her to take it back), and with the other she kept him behind her while she started to run.

Before joining together in a concentrated ball of light centered in the sky, the blue stars formed a wide, swirling cyclone just above the ground. As more stars were collected into this cyclone, making their way up to the top to become part of the giant light, more of the illusion was gone. It was almost frightening, even to someone like Fox, how they were running straight towards something like that, so enormous and overpowering, like rushing into a tidal wave just before it swallows up everything. But Krystal seemed to know what she was doing—she _is _Cerinian, after all, he thought, watching the hair on the back of her head bounce as she continued to lug him forward. She recognizes this sort of thing, as strange as that might be. Lost in this moment, both of their legs pumping, the shine of spinning vortex bringing warmth to their fur, Fox realized there was so much about the beautiful blue vixen he didn't understand, and perhaps never will. He did find mysterious sense she had about her to be attractive, but he never imagine she'd turn out to be so different. They say opposites attract, but how much is too much? How could he possibly make her happy with such a cultural gap between them? What did that weird raccoon woman say? Something about why Cornerians and Cerinians separated in the first place…

Only a faint gust shielded the vortex, allowing the two foxes to enter with ease. It continued to rush through the strands of their fur as they placed themselves in the center, looking up above to the giant ball of light like a smaller, dimmer, bluish white sun. Fox looked down again and saw Krystal smiling at him again. While her hair was constantly whipped by the wind, covering parts of her face at times, her expression was always beaming. This was probably the happiest he's ever seen her. How long has it been? He lost track of time since they got here; could've been years since that first step into this damn ship, the Salvation. What a joke. What's there to smile about, anyway?

Her staff also started to glow, as if in accordance to the brightness of her smile. She kept her one paw locked with his, while the other lifted it so the pointed wavered over her head, out to the center, paving a golden pathway for them in the midst of the bright, bluish obscurity. The vulpine felt the ground beneath him disintegrate, but he could feel himself elevating before he could be standing on nothing. The feeling, he was being taken back to safety by a force he didn't understand, reminded him of how he was taken in and out of the Magic Caves back on Dinosaur Planet. It was then, while they were being lifted up, away from this living memory as it fell apart before them, that Krystal reached for him with both arms. The staff nudging at his back as she clutched his sleeves, tighter than before, his face became ghostly this time. He still blushed, but a chill rushed through his body, and these new haunting thoughts, with Sappho's sly voice, would not leave him alone.

"What's there to be so damn happy about? If I get too close to her, she'll…"

* * *

A loud clacking sound, the sound of his metal kneepads against the floor of the Great Fox, followed the end of the sentence running through his head. With two adventures together in such a short time, even an enduring hero such as himself began to grow weary. He put his paws to the ground to help support himself, deep breaths escaping his mouth. When his sight fully recovered from the bright lights, he found Krystal was still in front of him, kneeling in exhaustion just as he was. Of course, she seemed much happier, like she found the entire ordeal amusing. If either one of us should be unhappy, it should be her, right?

"Fox! Krystal!" Falco's voice boomed with happiness and relief, "Hey, I'm glad to see you're both in one piece!"

"Wha-what happened? We're…back in the ship? How?" said Fox, rubbing his head in a futile attempt to relieve himself.

"Beats me. A huge light came out of the tree, and…next thing I knew, we were back in the Great Fox."

"Oh…well, I guess that means everything's back to—whoa, that's not…"

"What?" The two foxes turned their heads, staring directly at the source of the bird's voice, except it was not a bird speaking. "Why are you two looking at me like that?"

"Uh, Peppy…" said Krystal, "Why do you…sound like Falco?"

"What are you talking about? I _am _Falco, genius!"

"Um…"

"What's the matter with you? Are you blind or…" looking down, Falco found a lower body dressed in a red jumpsuit with a long jacket, short, stout, and furry. "Oh…shit."

"It seems that that light put us all back where we came from before we entered the ship, bodies and all." stated Peppy's voice, coming from an even shorter, amphibian body. "But it looks as though there was a…little mix-up."

"A _little _mix-up?" Falco made it look as if Peppy's body would soon pop a vein with such an infuriated look, "You call THIS a little mix-up?"

"Relax, would you? Hey, you should consider yourself lucky."

"…Good point."

"Heheheh…" snickered Slippy's voice. Turning to see it came from Falco's towering body, the hare's buck teeth were grinding together. "This is kinda fun!"

"Slippy!" The bird's voice burst from the hare's mouth, "You little punk! Give me back my body right now!"

"Chill out, Falco, or Peppy, whoever you are. You think I know how this happened?" It was bewildering to everyone else how Falco could even look that happy, turning around, looking at his own tail and feet like an amused child who experienced a growth spur overnight. "Wow, look how high up I am! And I have a _tail_! How cool is that? Hey there, little guy…"

"Grrrr!"

"Hey, for once in my life, I'm _tall_! Let me have my moment."

"Aww, don't worry about it, boys." said Krystal with a reassuring voice as she got back on her feet and walked up to them. "This is a minor mishap. I'm sure I can get you all back to normal."

"You have that kind of power?" Peppy's voice inquired from Slippy's body.

"Well…I was young when Cerinia was destroyed, so I never really mastered my power over spirits. But I've practiced a little on my own, and with my staff, I should manage to get you all in your own bodies again."

"Can you give me a few minutes?"

"Slippy!"

The blue vixen giggled at the entire ordeal. Even when she was trying to be happy before, there was always a feeling of distress about her. From the time Fox first saw her move, when he broke her glass grave, it still seemed like she was dying a little inside, no matter how much she tried to smile and leave the past as it was. The vulpine remained in the back, behind the others as they laughed in spite of this whole trial, looking for comfort in the darkness instead of in his friends. Backing up until he felt his paws against the glass window, he turned around, looking out into space, lit up by a school of glowing blue phantasms. Silenced by the awe of it, he watched as every last spirit fluttered away, like fireflies in the twilight. In the distance, he could still see chunks of the Salvation floating along the stars, and an enormous, withered tree drifting off into the void.

"Hmm, tall, tight muscles, magnificent plumage—yep, definitely mine." said Falco, inspecting himself and, satisfied to see he was back in place again, gave him a well-deserved stretching. He was about to make a sly remark for this whole ordeal they put themselves through, put with everyone back to normal, the humor each of them tried to uphold gave way to disturbed looks and uncomfortable movements, and the bird slumped, rolling his eyes.

"That was…certainly not the side mission I had expected." said Peppy with an unnerved shrug.

"Yeah, it was something else." said Falco, eager to put the tension behind him so he could get some rest.

"Yeah…" was all Slippy managed to say.

"Are you OK, Krystal?"

"Hmm?" the vixen's ears perked as if she wasn't expecting to be asked anything.

"Well, it turned out the Salvation was a Cerinian ship. It must've been very uncomfortable for you."

"Oh! I…no, really, it's fine." she said with a reassuring tone, her voice the calmest of them all. "You could guess my family wasn't the only group of people who tried to avert the explosion. I remember…I actually saw large numbers of people fleeing in giant ships like this one. We didn't focus much on space travel like you in Corneria do, so we used whatever vessels we had. I know it's a big universe, but once I went out on my own, I figured I would stumble onto one of them…eventually."

"I see…I'm sorry if I intruded. I'm sure this is something we'd all like to put behind us."

"Yeah, tell me about it!" said Falco, his tone relaxed with the awkwardness gone. "I think I've had enough creepy expeditions for one night, so if you'll excuse me, I'll be hitting the hay…" With one last look, out the window, seeing the tiniest glint of blue, flying off beyond the black sheets, the sight eased the tensions left inside of him, he turned his head and the doors slid back shut behind him.

"I guess I'll be retiring as well." said the old hare, rubbing his tired back, "I'll set ROB to take us back home. Goodnight Slippy, Krystal…Fox?"

The sudden mention of his voice made him twitch. "Uh…yeah?"

"I haven't heard a word from you since we got back. Everything all right?"

"Oh, uh…yeah, I…I'm fine. Just a little tired, I guess."

"Ah, right. I almost forgot you just finished saving Dinosaur Planet a few hours ago. Well, be sure to get some rest—you've earned it."

"Heh, yeah…thanks, Peppy."

"See you all when we get back." Peppy tried to smile, but upon seeing Fox fade in the darkness again disheartened him. Still, he told himself it must only be because of fatigue. After all, Krystal seemed without trauma after what happened, why would Fox be upset? He made his way to his quarters, with that thought helping him go to sleep.

Instead of heading right off to bed when he knew he wasn't wanted, Slippy walked over to the window where Fox stood as casually as possible. "I really thought we were going to save someone." he said, more to himself than to Fox, "I really thought I could help her. I honestly had no idea. She thought she was pretending, but she really was a ghost."

"What?"

"You see all those lights out there? You know they're ghosts, right? The spirits of all those people who died in that ship."

Fox twisted his neck, glancing at Krystal for a moment. She had walked closer to him in the past minute or so, but was careful not to intrude. He looked back at the toad and faked a smile. "Well, yeah, but…heh, I wasn't expecting a no-nonsense frog like you to become a believer in that sort of thing."

"After all that's happened in one day, it's hard not to." chuckled Slippy. He pressed his webbed hands onto the window until they almost stuck to the glass, looking out for one last spirit to descend beyond his sight. "Goodbye, Myst. I hope you find your family up there."

"Pardon?"

"Heh, it's nothing, and anyway, I'm too tired to explain. See ya, Fox, Krystal."

"Yeah, see you."

"Goodnight, Slippy." said the vixen, watching the amphibian as he made his way out of the room. As soon as the doors slid back together, she went right to Fox's side. "Fox?"

"Hmm?" he replied as if he hardly noticed she was there."

"I want to thank you…for all that you've done for me…in such a short time we've known each other."

"Err, yeah…no problem."

"Truthfully, I was very disturbed upon seeing a Cerinian ship way out here, but now that we've freed their spirits, I think I can truly move on with my life."

"That's…good."

Krystal had already detected that Fox was not in a talkative mood, but she felt she needed to share her feelings for just a little while. She even squirmed a little as she tried to sort out her thoughts. "And this wouldn't have happened without you, Fox, I…I don't know if I'll ever be able to thank you enough."

"It's OK, don't worry about it."

As much as she wanted to be spontaneous and embrace the fox with the distant expression, hold him close and tell him everything would be all right from then on, she couldn't gather the courage. "Fox, did I…do something wrong? You seem…unhappy. I mean, I'm pretty happy, but I want _you _to be happy, too, or else…"

"Krystal,"

"Y-yes?"

"Please, don't worry about me. I just need to think some things out. You can go back to my room and sleep there."

"Oh, all right…I understand. I'm sorry." An awkward silence followed; the final cry of the spirits as they departed from the mortal plane entirely bounced off the glass of the Great Fox. "I guess I'll…leave you alone, then. Goodnight…"

"Goodnight."

With the sound of the doors shutting behind her, the vixen's hope shattered, and tears began to leak from her broken happiness. Holding her breath so no one would hear her sob, she limped into Fox's sleeping quarters. Her eyes were left open, red and misty for most of the trip, just as Fox remained in that one room for many hours. Leaning against the window, his elbows on the glass, he watched as the faintest hint of blue seeped out of the void, until finally there was only darkness left.

* * *

Author's Note: First of all, I am really, REALLY sorry for making everyone wait so damn long. I promised myself I'd finish this before summer's end, and I'm going to do my best to fulfill it.

Second, contrary to popular belief, and if you couldn't guess with what happened, this is NOT the end. It's very close, but there's still a little left to go. I can't apologize enough, but, hye, genius work takes time, right? XP

Once again, really sorry for the wait...and thank you all for all your kind reviews. It really does mean a lot to me.


	19. Iris

Chapter 18: Iris

On a small planet, tucked away in a deep blanket of stars with a fragile sun, a young fox girl wandered through the tree-filled caverns that covered it. Remnants of the ocean were carried in the soft breeze as it swerved along the sloping cliffs and crowded jungles, along with the distinct scent of desolation. The ground was filled with crooked paths, obscured with branches, rocks and vines; the girl could not even maintain a steady jog without tripping. The treetops thatched together a thin roof, so that the sunlight came through in broken patches of sparkling light. Growing tired, the girl saw a particularly large sunbeam coming through a hole in the roof. She walked directly beneath it, cranked her neck upwards, and closed her eyes. As the light tingled the ends of her blue fur with faint but comforting warmth, she could almost hear the voice of someone she used to know, speaking the exact words she had said not too long ago, in a place like this…

"Krystal!" proclaimed the woman; a tall, broad vixen with shimmering blue and white fur, dressed with a heavily decorated golden top, shoulder-plates, armlets and anklets, and sandals. A long embroidered golden skirt left much of her legs bare as she walked across the shoreline, the jewels around her neck and through her hair clinking together with each step, along with the gentle thump of her ceremonial staff. Her hooded cape and the beaded locks of her long white hair flowed in symmetry with ocean breeze. "Krystal, hurry now!"

"H-here I come!" squealed a much younger Krystal, with wide eyes and a little yellow dress, as she scampered towards the woman. When the small blue fox finally caught up with the woman, she began panting.

"Krystal…I cannot teach you if you are not by my side to hear my words." said the woman, her voice soft and steady. "You really must pay attention."

"B-but…but we've been walking for hours! It's soooo boring!" whined the blue kit.

"Life will give you far greater tribulations. You must learn to endure."

"Is that why we're walking instead of flying…and why we've yet to take a rest?"

The woman laughed. "Sometimes…the journey is even more important than the destination."

"What is the destination, anyway, Lady Iris?"

"You will see…soon enough."

"But you already know where we're going! I want to know, too!" Krystal pouted.

"I have traveled to many places, such as this one, and many times before. Of course I know where we're going, but I am also already aware that we do not always know what lies at the end of our journey. We must chose our path wisely and have faith in the road we take."

"…So you're not going to tell me?"

Iris laughed again. "Hmm…No, sorry! You may think of it as a surprise."

"Ooooh, I hate surprises…"

That moment, that one happening where a girl and her mentor walked along the shore of a quiet planet, a flicker in the universe that would never be repeated, played over in its only form of existence. In the mind of that little fox girl, whose thoughts swam around her in the sunlight, the moment ended, shut off from her trail of thought. The arm above her face guarded her from the sun's growing intensity, and when she removed it, that moment returned to the back of her mind, and she was herself again—older again, alone again. She looked ahead and she continued to walk through the jungle.

"Journey more important than the destination…" she said to herself as she trampled through another wave of trees and grass. She walked with more caution in her step as she noticed the bunts of rocks and more dramatic gaps in the land below her sandals. "I wish I could believe all that now…Maybe if I knew there was a point to all this, if I knew something good was coming my way…but that would be _against_ what Lady Iris taught me, wouldn't it?" She grunted, knowing her inner most thoughts were contrary to her teachings. She looked up towards the sky again and said in frustration, "Well, Lady Iris, maybe there is no point to this journey! How can I have a destination if I don't even know where I'm going?" Her yelling summoned a flock of birds, the collective flap of a hundred black wings bursting from out a large tree, hanging in the distance. Not expecting anything to disturb her, the sudden noise made the vixen yelp. She crotched down and put her hands over her ears, only rising when the skies were clear and silent again. "Ugh…Keep it together! I…I can't even remember…I can't do this by myself. Look at me…I'm falling apart." She brushed herself off, shuddered as she was able to find any condolences in her mind, and continued walking.

The more Krystal thought about it, the more frustrated she became. The vixen grunted with each displeasing thought, her steps faster and harder, until she became so disgruntled, her thoughts blocked her from the small ledge just ahead of her. Before her mind could even process it, her foot slid against the edge, and her entire body tipped over and smacked the clearing of hardened dirt. In a blink's worth of time she was looking at the jungle with a slanted perspective, her body sore.

As that first string of fur made contact with the ground, it brought the vixen back to a time where she had been careless before. A little fox girl had grown bored again, and decided to wander off. She became so overexerted that she did not even notice the rock that appeared in her stray path and caused her to trip.

"Krystal…" Iris moaned as she approached the landing site; it was clear she was disappointed, but her voice was still smooth. As she drew nearer, the volume and pitch of her pupil's cries became more apparent. "Krystal, that's enough." Iris said sternly, but not loudly enough to overpower the kit's wailing. The fox girl had managed to sit up, but could not control the tears. Her mentor marched towards her, knelt down, and swiped her hand across her wet cheek. The immense aftershock left Krystal silent. Iris watched and waited as tears continued to stream down her face, but involuntarily and with less force. "Krystal, you need…to stop this."

The kit eventually gathered the nerve to turn her head and face her mentor. The gentle kindness that she believed to be ever-present had been replaced with a firm stare, the gravity of her displeasure hanging off her frowning muzzle and slanted brow. Krystal recognized that kind of angry expression from her parents to be even worse than a more standard, furious one.

"Krystal, do you know why we're traveling together? Do you even know why your family entrusted me with you?" The kit's tiny snout quivered; to her this seemed like a situation where anything she said would be wrong. "Well?"

"B-because…because all Cerinians undergo training…in order to be spiritually aware and…and reach enlightenment in the universe."

"…Yes," Krystal shrugged off a bit of her anxiety, but the slight touch of relief was premature. "But obviously you only know what you've been told. You do not _understand _why we Cerinians do this, otherwise you would not be treating our spiritual journey as if it were a field trip. You have come of age, Krystal, now you need to start acting like it. You need to be patient and you need to focus."

With another sniffle and a quick wiping of her eyes with her arm, the little fox girl stood herself up. "I…I'm sorry, Lady Iris."

The vixen sighed. "No, it's all right," she said as she rubbed off the dirt on Krystal's face. "You may be of the age to begin training, but you are still a child…I just need you to treat this a little more seriously, all right? Can you do that much for me?"

"Yes, Lady Iris."

"And I'm not your mother, you know," Iris continued as she brushed the hair away from the kit's face. "There's a reason why children are trained by clerics rather than their parents. It's to ensure there won't be any fooling around."

"Yes, Lady Iris."

"All right, glad we cleared this up…" Iris stood up, looked down at her mentor, and smiled. "Let's be off, then. We're nearly there."

"Yes, Lady Iris." As the little fox girl jumped to her feet and ran off to be at the side of her mentor, who had already begun walking, their likeliness faded, walking further away from sight, further from memory. They proceeded towards that unseen destination, and the sideway view of the jungle reappeared in front of an older Krystal.

"Ugh!" Krystal sneered as she lifted her hand from under the torso that had toppled over it, held it to the sky and slammed it against the ground. "I'm getting careless again!" She lay for a while; her fist against the ground seemed to have drained all her energy, leaking through her fingernails and into the roots and blades of grass around her. A soft sighed wisped from out of her quivering mouth. "How long have I been on this planet? Why did I even land here? Why…why am I doing anything?"

Despite her deepest desire at the time, the jungle provided no answer to her questions. It was not even a newfound sense of being that pulled her to her feet, but a fear that one of the jungle's denizens might take advantage of her carcass imitation and devour her.

Memories of walking up a spiral mountain came to the vixen's mind as a mild fog crept around her ankles. A strong change of atmosphere, just when she thought the jungle would never end. As a thin layer of wispy grey crossed her path, the utter blankness it provided carried her to that time when she finally reached the top, when that little girl had found the destination; a plateau that overlooked half the planet.

"Wow!" the young Krystal said in amazement, her voice trembling with rapid breaths, her eyes jiggling in their sockets. "It's amazing! Wow, we're so high up! I can see the ocean! Lady Iris…Lady Iris, look!"

"Yes, Krystal, I see it," said Iris with a lighthearted laugh.

"This is our destination, right? This is what we came up all this way for?"

"That is correct."

"It is very beautiful, but…I still don't understand why we walked so far when we could've flown."

"This is the most suitable place in the quadrant for meditation and reflecting."

"But…we could do that anywhere…could we not?"

Iris, despite the small kit's expectations, laughed again. She made her way to the middle of the plateau, where she had already set up a small camp site, and sat down, arms and legs folded. "Do you remember what I told you about being patient?"

"Y-yes…" said the girl as she did as her mentor did, her ears perked up. "But I just…I don't see the point in all this."

The memory parted from Krystal's vision as did the fog, and a path of sand crossed down the middle. As the grainy white dust expanded further along her peripheral, a thin layer of blue and green appeared beyond the horizon. A soft, clean wind traveled between the strands of her hair and a salty breeze flared her nostrils. As she walked to the shore, the shifting tumbles of foam and waves making her ears twitch, her mind became clear again. She looked ahead, able to see for herself after what seemed like hours of walking aimlessly, thoughtlessly, like a moving doll. She turned her head, and not to far from where she stood, her small ship rested in the sand. Only then did the realization that she purposely walked in a circle sink in.

"I'm…so tired." She sighed. Trying to relive herself of her lethargy, she shook and shuddered, rubbing her arms with her hands. "I really have no patience. I should know better by now, after all this time…haven't I learned all these lessons already? I just…I'm coming apart here, is what's happening." Looking farther as her consciousness allowed her to see farther, she could see clouds tearing apart in the distance. A vague tower of cliffs and rocks emerged, pulling her eyes wide open. That same place where she had been with her mentor, the mountain pulled into a different time. Just once more, she saw Iris, the woman she so admired.

"Krystal…" she said in a way that made the vixen knew she had disappointment. "Do you know what your purpose is?"

"My…purpose?"

"The reason for your being; why you are here, in this plane of existence, just as you are."

"I, I…no, I guess I don't."

As tiny balls of light came peering out of the darkness, the fox woman's stern, almost immaculate visage turned steadily into a faraway, dreamy face. "Every living thing has a purpose; the trees, the animals, and you and me. Our spirits are brought into the world by our creator to serve that purpose, and when we are ready to leave this world, we leave it with an impact. Great or small, every imprint left on the world is vital for life to continue as it does. Your body was made just for your spirit, and your spirit exists to leave an impact on the world you live in…Do you understand?"

"Hmm?" Krystal's eyes popped, her ears flickered; she was not expecting her mentor to stop and ask questions. "Oh! Yes, Lady Iris!" she said like an obedient schoolgirl.

"That's very good. But no living thing is ever truly alone. Our spirits are all connected by the will of our creator. Do you know what a kindred spirit is, Krystal?"

"Um…" the kit was surprised how the lecture started feeling more like a test. "Well, it's two spirits that are…related?"

Iris laughed. "Hmm, almost. Every living thing is connected, but each individual is also connected to another by a spiritual bond. Their purposes are related, you see, and if they are fulfilled, will bring them together as one. Every one of us has a kindred spirit, and part of our journey in life is to find the one whose spirits in intertwined with our own."

"Wow…so, there's someone out there who I am meant to be with? How will I know?"

"Hmm, well according to Cerinian custom, you don't have to know. That is the job of our matchmakers."

"B-but! How can they know who belongs with who?"

"Well, you forget that each Grand Council member acts as the matchmaker for the region they are in charge of. I am in charge of yours, so I am the one in charge of finding your kindred spirit; I am entrusted with such a duty because I am expected to care for all of you, and my spiritual bonds to you and the planet give me a greater understanding of such things."

"Oh…so you will find me the right person…you won't bring me a jerk, right? Because I want my kindred spirit to be nice…and smart!"

Iris paused, looked directly at Krystal, and smiled. To the girl, it seemed she was finally starting to loosen up about this supposedly serious spiritual quest. "Hmm, do not worry, I promise to do my best t find your kindred spirit. Who knows, though? Perhaps you will find him on your own…"

"Iris? …Lady Iris!" Krystal yelped, her voice changing from adolescent to juvenile, deepening as the image of her mentor faded for the last time. "Don't leave me, please! I'm lost…please help me!" She yelled with all her might, but Iris just sat there in the night with a blissful expression, unaware of her pupil's cries. "I'm so afraid! I don't know what to do or where I'm going! Please tell me what to do, Lady Iris! No…no, please! Please don't go! I need you! Please!"

Her cries went unanswered once again, and the vision of her mentor faded from her memory. The vixen could feel her mind going blank again. She knew Lady Iris was dead and gone forever, and she knew no one would hear her pleas. Desperate to stay awake, though, she continued to speak, like chasing after a fleeing light, she clung to that tiny fiber of hope in her heart that eventually something…someone, would answer her prayers.

"It's not like it matters," she said, "My kindred spirit is probably dead, along with my family…my friends, and…e-everyone I've ever known…" her words came out, stealing what little strength she had managed to collect as they spilled from out her mouth, and with one blow of the ocean's gust, her perseverance scattered into a million particles across the sea. Every muscle tensed and tightened, she fell onto hands and knees gasping for air as her throat began to close. Her head jerked around as she coughed and gagged, helpless to watch as tears plummeted from off her eyes and darkened the white sand.

"They've called me a barbarian…a heathen, a heretic…a whore." She thought, unable to speak such terrible words. "Every place I went to was strange to me, and, though I kept trying, I was never accepted. The way I look, the way I talk and think…I was too different, and I could not adjust. Many times I wished I had no telepathy…so I would not have been able to understand their hateful words.

"Why do I even dwell on such things if they make me sad? What's done is done, and I've come so far…I know I am not as they say, and yet…If I were, if Cerinia was a planet of heathens…perhaps that would explain why it was destroyed."

For a long while, the little blue fox girl sat on the shore, close to her ship, her arms around her knees, shivering with the hopelessness that would not leave her.

"Krystal…" a voice burst from the silence. She flinched; against all hopes that a comforting voice would answer her, it was a deep and cold one that called out to her.

"W-what? Who…who are you?" she replied, her fear crippling even her inner voice.

"Krystal, you must…go east. You will find a small planet, much like this one, but in pieces." Krystal was able to tell the voice was male, and he dictated the direction slowly and with a harsh sense of indifference. "Seek out this shattered world…you will find what you are looking for."

She gasped. "W-what…you mean…?"

"You will find the answers you've been searching for."

"How…how can I trust you, though? Who…do I know you?"

"It is your choice. You can…do as I say…or you can continue to wander and be lost as you are now." The voice then left her mind as soon as it came. Krystal stood up, suddenly feeling colder and more confused than before, yet she knew this was the best chance she could ever get. Her prayer had been answered, just not by the grace she was hoping for.

The blue vixen would head east soon afterwards, with both a sense of newfound purpose and uncertainty. Somehow she couldn't hake the feeling that the voice that called out to her was familiar, and not one she would normally want to trust.


	20. Close Your Eyes

Hey, I am JUST as shocked as you are!

Before you read, before you review (assuming you want to), before you even look down too far:

Not to toot my own horn or anything, but there are some of you who may recognize this story. I started it quite a few years ago and since its beginning has gone through many long gaps between chapters.

Let it be perfectly clear that this will be the last of it. When I started this I had intended for there to be two parts, but I'll level with all of you—I was unable to gather the desire, the willpower, or even a clear idea as to how to make that second part fall into place. So some of you who read this in the past may think I'm being lazy, cheap or inconsiderate by wrapping this whole thing up in a single final chapter after years of not only not writing anything, but not even giving any real sort of feedback.

And you'd most likely be right. Then again, it may not have occurred to you people, because it's just a damned fan-fiction. Nevertheless, I do feel the need to apologize to anyone whose time I've wasted or anyone I may have disappointed. All I can really say is life just got in the way. Somewhere along the line, I just lost my spontaneity with writing, and my own, original stuff has suffered as well, despite the fact that the quality of my work, I feel, has gotten better.

I won't point anyone out or even try to spread the blame for lack of inspiration, but honestly, browsing for more fan-fiction and fan-art hasn't exactly inspired me these past few years. In fact, fandom as a whole has driven me away…to an extent, the games themselves have hindered me. I mean, it's difficult for me to continue to write a story that depicts Krystal as a sweet and considerate character when the concept of her becoming a Star Wolf floozy or some ridiculous attempt at the femme fatale type (if you're a fan of Kursed, why did you even read this?). Then again, I suppose all that's unlikely to get carried over to the next game, but…it just did not speak well for the character, in my opinion, and with her popularity it's gotten very hard for me to like her.

Still, I felt that I had to finish this at some point, no matter how bad or delayed, merely for the principle. Also, I don't want to hear any "That's it!?" or "What a jip!" when getting feedback, even if I do deserve it.

So yes, in short—that's the end, there is no more. I apologize in advance. I may write more in the future, but considering my...record, I wouldn't count on it. I must admit, though, it's a HUGE relief to have finally tackled this ridiculous piece.

If you're wondering, as time went on, I HAD thought of adding some of the more recent characters...but as I pushed myself, I decided I didn't want to expend any more time on going back and inserting characters. I feared it was too little too late. So in case you've forgotten, this is taken after Adventures, alludes to Assault a bit, but does not really take the last two games into effect.

Thanks for reading...and again, I apologize.

* * *

Final Chapter: Close Your Eyes

The sound of rustling waters and foam shifting against sand drifted Krystal from her land of dreams into her current situation. As the waves in the distance ebbed, her dreamy conscious drifted away with it. Her eyes cracked open and her ears perked, but the fox girl remained motionless; she had removed her original armor and put on a large T-shirt and the smallest pair of sweat-shorts she could find in Fox's room (which were still big on her), but the aches of her most recent endeavor still gripped at her bones, making her muscles soft and weary.

"Ugh…morning already?" she said with a light, broken voice as she rubbed her eyes and levied her upper body. As the fog of sleep was swept from her vision, she could see the bright ocean from outside Fox's window. Just a few yards away, a huge docking board reached out alongside the row of buildings, which shone like porcelain in the midst of the late morning rays. "Oh my…how long was I asleep?" she said as she hopped out of the small bed, the recognition of the sun's position giving her a small jolt of awareness; she feared she had overslept, and that the boys had left her.

The fox girl quickly straightened out the white sheets, slipped on her sandals and walked out Fox's door. Her legs wiggled like rubber, and she put her hand against the walls, her nails sliding against the metal as she passed. With every step she became more uneasy; all the rooms were empty, and she could not even sense the presence of another anywhere near her. Surely this was Corneria, and the boys had all woken up and gotten about their business, leaving her to sleep—not what she wanted for a first impression.

Her fears of being alone were confirmed as she approached the main room at the head of the ship; she could already see the corners of empty chairs. Then, as she came closer, an unusual collection of sounds alien to her senses came into her ears. Curious, her slow trudging through the hall turned into a swift trot to the main room as the buzzing, screwing and flaring sounds amplified. She approached the glass window of the hull and saw several other spacecrafts line up underneath an enormous metal shell. A small hoard of men in baggy black clothes were scattered all about, some hauling in parts, some talking to what Krystal could assume were customers, and some swarming around the ships, opening, inspecting and adjusting. Cerinian biotechnology never required maintenance, not of the conventional sense, but she had done enough traveling to realize she was looking at a giant garage.

"Okay! Let's get down to business!" cried a high-pitched voice. Even from her high position, the voice made the vixen jump in her steps. She put her hand on the glass and looked down, seeing Slippy and ROB standing in front one of the garage's mechanics. The toad had added a layer of boisterousness to his voice, as though trying to convince the mechanic, whom Krystal could not hear from her distance, of something. "Normally I prefer to do my own work, but I don't have the materials or the time to fix such a massive ship like the Great Fox all by myself. So…yeah…yeah, it has three plasma engines, I need you to take a look at those…no, the communications array and hologram transmitters work fine, I installed those myself, thank you very much! …No, yeah, I do need you to rework the shield generators, how much is that? …What!? Get out of here…"

Krystal never had the need to learn the ways of alien technology, so she only had a vague understanding of what words Slippy was spewing out. It may be time to learn, it had occurred to her, as her ship, and indeed all Cerinian ships, were merely transportation devices with near-infinite fueling, and as far as she knew, they were not compatible with foreign attachments. The fox girl continued to watch Slippy haggle with a now frustrated mechanic, and a giggle escaped her mouth, immediately causing a small ripple of surprise within her. She was in a world far different from her own, but she felt a constant presence of happiness overlooking her. Within the past few hours, her beliefs and sense of being had been called into question, and yet, at this moment, she felt things could come to full circle after all. This feeling of acceptance, her willingness to start over—perhaps that, in itself, was enough proof that the two planets shared a bond. It may be a rough transition, she thought, but after so long, it may be nice for a change.

With a smile, she headed back the way she came in search of the Great Fox's nearest exit. She may have overslept, but she could think of no reason for the guys to be upset at any way, judging by the kindness they have given her within this small amount of time since they all met.

The hangar's hatch in the back of the ship was held wide open, and though it was a small venture from one end of the mothership to the other, the fox girl was relieved to have the clean, open air of the outside world rush through her senses. The breeze from the ocean whirled across the wide planes of sand and came to her, caressing her white and blue face. As the faint hint of salt flared through her nose, a once diluted image resurfaced from the waters of her mind.

Having been awakened by the outside, she was able to recall the dream she had just hours ago; she dreamt of her early days as a wanderer, of a long and winding childhood spent lost and alone. Within those images of desolation, though, came a single silhouette; the very seem of its form and face made Krystal's face bloom in surprise. It was as though the valves in her body had just been released, allowing blood and life to flow throughout; as though she had been sleeping until that very moment.

"That's right," she cooed to herself, "I had a dream about Iris last night…" She had not even thought about her old mentor for a long time; up until that moment, her image was just a blur of soft shades of blue and white, drifting in the back of her mind like a passing fog. It was almost like all those ghosts of her kinfolk, she thought, were gone, but not free; imprisoned in her psyche, the memories of an old existence, left to linger in the dark area of her soul she dare not trespass. But the events of the previous night unveiled those desolate corners of her inner being. Surely, she thought, the memories she so desperately tried to repress for the past few years were all flooding back. Because of last night, because of that ship, because of that man...

"It's…all because of Fox," her inner thoughts escaped her body once more, as if she would not have been able to process the concept if she had muttered it in her mind. "If not for Fox, who knows how long I'd be alone out there, trying to find something…something I've just been trying to forget."

The uttering of his name made the vixen recall the previous night further, and how its end was not as satisfying as she would have liked. She remembered the kindness and concern in the face as when she first saw him had somehow been drained upon the encounter with Sappho. In such a short time, his expression had become listless, his brow furrowed with grief. Krystal clutched her heart, trying in vain to process her conflicting emotions. What had caused Fox to become so distant in such a short time, she did not know, but she was sure it had something to do with her, and if that was indeed the case, she would have to be the one to help him. After all, she thought, it would be the least she could do after he saved her on Dinosaur Planet.

With a newfound sense of purpose, the fox girl found her way out of the massive ship and walked into the garage, caution and worry hanging about her. Not wanting to interfere with the bustling and rushing of the mechanics within, Krystal slowly pressed onward, her arms glues to her sides. She left her eyes free to wander, though, scanning every tile and mechanism until they came to an end at the docks.

Emerging from the shadow cast by the metal hull which loomed over a wide bridge of wooden boards, she allowed her muscles to unhinge again, the tension in her body melted by the salty breeze. Upon her entrance to the docks, she quickly spotted a familiar figure, short and wide with a long jacket with a fluffy tail sticking by the end, rested by the bridge's end. She stood hesitant for moment, directly behind him; she could sense the contemplative aura surrounding him, and that his mind was drifting to far off places, much like the ebbing waves. Krystal started to back away to leave him in peace, but the hare's ears twitched at the sound of her feet against the wooden floor, like a pair of sensitive antennae.

"Hmm?" said the hare as he shifted his head, spotting the vixen. "Oh, Krystal! You're awake!"

"Yes, I'm…sorry I slept for so long."

"Oh, it's no problem. We're not exactly busy right now. We're just…finalizing the payment for our ship's repair."

"Yes, I overheard Slippy 'bargaining' from the ship."

The old hare chuckled. "Aha! Yeah, he'll do that. He's a bit of a fanatic with this type of thing."

"Um…have you seen Fox, by chance?"

"I'm sorry, he's not around. He up and left as soon as we boarded without so much as telling us where he was going. I even sent Falco to go look for him…that was about half an hour ago."

"Oh…I see…"

"Don't worry, he'll turn up sooner or later…" At that moment of quiet, Peppy became aware that the vixen had donned an oddly familiar piece of clothing. "Is that…Fox's shirt?"

"Oh! I, um…" Krystal crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to take it, it's just…"

"No, no, it's fine. I would've suggested you borrow something anyway. After all, your outfit was…not suited for…for this weather…"

"It's all right, Peppy. I know I would stick out here."

"Ah…well, now I'M the one who's sorry," said Peppy, trying to hide his embarrassment with a light chuckle.

"I understand. I've been wandering the galaxy for so long, I've…never really 'fit in' anywhere, for one reason or another…"

"I see…" the old hare's ears twitched again. The girl was clearly uneasy and needed some positive reassurance. "Krystal, I'm sure I speak for the entire Star Fox team when I say we will do everything we can for you. I'll fill out a few forms, and after a couple weeks of training, you'll be one of us…like a family." Peppy paused, unsure if he was using such friendly terms too hastily. But he looked at the fox girl's bluish white face, a swirling pool of emotions, stepped forward and continued. "That…IS what you want, isn't it?" Krystal's head perked up, as if she was not expecting such a question, but she instinctively nodded. "Okay, good. And really, you're timing couldn't have been better. I've been wanting to retire for a while, and Fox practically brings me a replacement!"

"A replacement…" the vixen said under her breath, "Peppy, if I may ask…you all are…rather famous here, are you not?"

Peppy straightened his pose and stuck out his chest, a sense of self-satisfaction on his face. "As far as mercenaries who save the entire galaxy go, yes, we are pretty well-known."

"Do you think that…the people of your world will…accept me? I mean…you've all been together for quite a while, and here I am…coming from nowhere…is this acceptable?"

"Ah, funny thing about that," replied the hare in a hearty tone, "The four of us don't make up the original team. It was actually me, Fox's father, and an old friend who ended up betraying us. I don't think I need to tell you what happened."

"I…I'm sorry."

"No, no, it's okay. It was a long time ago. But that's the thing—even families can change. Time passes and…the other three are still spring chickens, but my time has passed. I'll be keeping my eye on all of you, of course. Behind the scenes, if you will, but as far as action goes, it's time I stepped down. Not exactly aging gracefully, you know!"

Peppy tried to maintain an air of good humor, but upon seeing Krystal's blank and unsure stare remained vigilant upon her face, he let out a sigh. "Look, you have nothing to worry about. You know as well as I do that nothing remains the same. After the…incident that broke up the original team, Fox made a new one, and in time, people accepted it. People had their doubts at first, but he proved them wrong. He knew there was no point in worrying about what the world around him might think, there…never really is a point, you know? He had to do what was right. He had to save his home…our home…and that's what he did. That was all that mattered. If people don't accept it…well, then it's only their fault for being so stubborn."

"But…is THIS…what's right? I mean, we've only known each other for a few hours…my flying experience is minimal and it's not even with the same kind of…"

The old hare chuckled again, but with less force. "Heh, over the years, I've learned to trust Fox's intuition. If he wants you on the team, that's good enough for me. Besides, we're mercenaries, not soldiers. There's no specific quota for experience or abilities."

Knowing Peppy was doing his best to lift her spirits, Krystal's unwavering melancholy began to lift. She perked up her head and looked out at the sea. "Well, I…suppose I could be of some help on ground missions…I am rather fast…"

"That's the spirit! Like I said, we'll get you in training, and before long you'll be better than half the Cornerian military!"

"And I…well, I didn't say much before, but…Cerinians had a…certain abilities that allow us to be in tune with the thoughts and emotions of others. Perhaps…I could be of more use with that?"

"Hmm…I knew your race was apparently more spiritually receptive, but I had no idea you were telepathic."

"Yes, well…actually, only a few of my people have such a gift…when I was young, I was sent away to be instructed by one of the high elders because I showed signs of having it. The staff I had is an artifact from before the making of the pact, I was only given it after I had proven myself."

"That's very…interesting," said the hare as he rubbed his chin, "You know, only one person from the Lylat System has ever been known to travel to your world before it was destroyed, and he never gave us any information like that…maybe you were able to survive…for a reason."

"Perhaps…losing my home and everyone I've ever known hurts, but…since I was sent away to train I didn't really know my family, so I imagine it doesn't hurt as much as it could've…" Krystal stood silent for a moment, a strong gust of wind running its salty fingers through her hair. Her ears shifted downward and her eyes widened in symmetry, as though connected by levers. "Wait, someone from this world…went to Cerinia? I never knew that…"

"It's a little-known fact, but over a hundred years ago, a man named Tybert Lynch was able to cross the threshold to your planet…he came back once and shared what he had learned, but…shortly left again and never came back. Guess he was happier there."

"I see. Then he was long dead before I was even born."

"Yes, and he…well, this part I'm not as sure of, there's so little on the subject, but…it's rumored he had children with someone from that planet, and left them here when the Cerinians wouldn't accept them. Cornerians are so varied, it's virtually impossible to plainly see individual genetics without some sort of test…"

"So it's possible…that there's a family in this world that has some Cerinian blood?"

"It's a distinct possibility."

"I…see…"

The hare noticed that the girl seem to drift back to her foggy state and further away from their place on the dock. Her eyes were clouded, arms hanging carelessly against the breeze. He sighed, believing at first she was bored. "I'm sorry, Krystal, I have a…bad habit of prattling on about anything. Why don't we go see how Slippy's doing and we can—"

"I…need to see Fox."

The hare stumbled in his thoughts. "Oh! I'm sorry, but he hasn't come back yet."

"Then…I'll go look for him."

"I already sent Falco."

"I'll find both of them…I think I'm familiar enough with their thought patterns to seek them out."

"I…don't think that's a very good idea, Krystal. Fox went into the city, and it's VERY big and crowded."

"I don't care. I…I need to speak with him immediately!"

"Krystal, don't!" Peppy shouted with his stubby arm outreached to grab her, but by the time his short grasp had fully extended, she had already dashed away. The wooden boards shuddered under the weight of his feet as he made a desperate attempt to catch up. His short, stocky legs carried him to the entrance of the city, where the bit of blue that remain in his spectrum was diluted in a rush of small, scrambling flying ships. "Ugh, I wasn't kidding when I said I wasn't aging well!" The breath strung from out his body, he threw his hands on his knees in surrender, hunched over and began to pant. "What's gotten into that girl? Why is everyone so upset all of a sudden?"

"Peppy!" the toad's spry voice popped from behind the hare. He wiggled and huffed as he run up to Peppy's place next to the streets. "What's the matter? I heard you yell."

"Ah! I was…Krystal and I were…talking, and…she ran off…she said she needed to, to…see Fox right away. I told her he had left and he'd come back eventually but…she wouldn't listen."

"Oh no! Why would she do that? Those two sure are acting weird today."

"You're right…" said Peppy as he hoisted himself back upright. "Fox and Krystal have been…a bit distraught…since we got off from that ship. Yes, I'm sure of it."

"Do you think something happened on that strange old ship?"

"Well, it WAS a haunted Cerinian ship. I'm really not that surprised Krystal's become so unhappy. But Fox seemed just as upset this morning, if not more so…could it really have disturbed him that much?"

"Fox sure didn't seem disturbed when Andross came back from the dead…I dunno, I think it's something else."

* * *

The distance between Krystal and her two friends she left at the docks stretched further with every pounding step she took. As the patch of grass at the dock's end gave way to sterling pavements, the alien vixen threw herself into the mass of metal and people, her bright blue fur becoming a speck in the urban cloud of grey and white. As she lost momentum the blurs in her eyes were cleared away. Hoards of buildings jutted from the ground, piercing the sky like giant needles. The aliens, resembling herself somewhat in body shape but with darkened faces were uttering a similar language in a clutter of shouts and clamors, bunching together to obscure her path.

"Fox!" she cried out, her voice wandering about in conjunction with her feet—around the corners where luminous signs hung and edges of railways where compact ships flooded back and forth. She called out his name over and over, but as she delved deeper into the chamber of silver and neon, her voice shriveled up and got lost in the chorus of humming engines and blasting jets, conducted by wide, sparkling screens plastered on the pinnacles of the buildings.

"Fox! Fox, where are you?" her voice cracked, water gathering in the corners of her eyes.

"Hey, watch it, lady!" a jarring voice blasted at her, coupled with a swift shove against the vixen's shoulder by a cold, indifferent hand. The shock sent Krystal back several steps, stretching her uneasiness into a foggy and uncertain daze. Still, a single spark of determination remained center in her mind, even as the rest became clouded with confusion and fluster by the metropolis. With the focus she managed to muster from the image of her goal, she picked out the warmest face she could find in the crowd within a minute's time, walked up to it and gently gripped its shoulder.

"E-excuse me! By chance, do you know of someone named Fox McCloud?"

"Ah! What a dumb question!" Was the answer given to Krystal with a high-pitched, snarling voice that echoed as the initially warm face turned to a curdled and cringed expression. "Everybody knows him."

"Oh…well…yes, of course. I was wondering…might he have passed through here recently? Might you or…anyone know where he is?"

"Wow, what an even dumber question," the woman snapped back, "There are five thousand people in this city, and even if I could pinpoint his location, I doubt he'd want to waste time with a space case like you. Now beat it! …And by the way, you look ridiculous in that outfit." And with an airy laugh, the woman with the supposedly warm face morphed back into the ever-shifting crowd. The blue fox girl stood motionless underneath an unlit lantern that hung high over a street corner. She felt little sting from the words of the stranger, as she had heard much harsher words thrown at her in the past. She had hoped that the people of Fox's planet would be more understanding like him, but the disappointment she felt was a mere knick in her numbing outer shell. The continuous clutter of impatient voices, rough stamps of feet and blurring whizzes of ships told the vixen that she had no chance of receiving help or even a quiet moment for concentration.

Disheartened by the overwhelming stature of the city and the uncooperative nature of its inhabitants, Krystal realized she would not be able to focus long enough to find Fox on her own. "I…need some quiet," she thought, "I can't go back to the docks, it's too far away…but I can't make out Fox's thought patterns with all this…noise." Bent on seeking some solitude, her wide, teal eyes scattered about, rolling over every skyscraper and floating billboard in her field of vision. She placed her hands on her heart and felt the slowed palpitation as she eased her breathing. With every slowed and calmed breath that shifted through the opened nostrils of her petite black nose, the vixen was able to push the clutter and clamor of voices and ships from out of her mind. In an instant, the folds of her brain generated a shield of quiet that blocked itself from the outside noise, siphoning out the other, distracting thoughts that had been coursing throughout the fox girl's mind. Keeping to the far end of the sidewalk and her eyelids sealed shut, she stepped through the city with a serene expression, nimbly avoiding any contact with the residents.

As a solemn peace and stillness fully covered her mind, a series of beat began to rise from the quiet, flowing with the sound of her own heart. Falling deeper into concentration, her steps becoming slower, the beats became clearer like firm strikes to a drum. Another breath, and she stopped all movement; her ears twitched, an antennae to all the heartbeats that encompassed the city. From the single steady core of the city's chorus stemmed a stream of twinkling, busy notes. Where the heartbeats pounded in a steadfast and uniform motion, the second layer burst in a ripple of loose and free-motion rhythms, swirling in the atmosphere in a distinct pattern all its own.

The shield in Krystal's mind gave her a vision from within her body, a sight that filtered through the limited mechanics of her body. Her wide ears opened to their greatest extent and moved from side to side along with the patterns of the hearts and thoughts of every person around her. Each individual released a string of beats that fluttered in the ether, each different, if only slightly, but each rooted from the same steady motion of their hearts.

With an elongated breath, however, the vixen detected in her wide field of mental sight a small pocket of emptiness, an area within the city that did not have nearly as many beats as all the others. Krystal's concentration shook with happiness—with an isolated space, she would have a much easier time picking out Fox's signature among the hundreds of hearts and minds going off all at once.

"What luck!" she thought to herself, her face glowing with self-satisfaction. "I'll just make my way over there…I hope I'm allowed inside, it's the only chance I have of finding Fox…unless, of course, he's left…He was so upset last night, he didn't even want to talk to me about it. It must've been my fault, somehow…he didn't get that way until after Sappho. Did she say or do something I didn't notice?" She extended her arm against the walls as she past each new building. As she sensed the empty pocket near her, her hand came upon a wide and rounded set of glass doors upon a small, white building wedged between two towers. She lowered her head and sighed, her elated expression fading, as she allowed herself in. "I just hope he hasn't changed his mind about me and letting me on the team…No…no, I can't think like that…I don't know what wrong has been made, but I will right it. It's the least I can do…for Fox."

The taps of Krystal's sandals against the marble floor resounded throughout the building. Her mind's eye shut and faded as she gazed upon her surroundings; pillars carried the roof on their backs, long sets of chairs were arranged in rows and an altar stood up front like the helm of a ship. The fox girl's ears fell to the sides of her head, her eyes widened; she felt the same austerity carried in the silent air as the grand temples of her own planet. Its halls were darker, as though a giant shadows has been casted upon the whole building, and the windows of stained glass refracted only bits of sunlight. She gripped at her rune-marked arms, trying to hide them as though they could burn through the sleeves of Fox's shirt, knowing they were still there, even underneath the clothes of the man to whom these people held as their hero. The somber enclosure suddenly put everything into perspective for the oddly colored vixen from a dead world; it reminded her of all the differences she had with the people of the planet she stood on.

"I…I won't be long," she muttered, "I just need a moment to concentrate. I'll be gone before anyone even notices I'm here." Her eyes again wandered in her head, but with a quickened jump from place to place in fear of getting caught. The fox girl made her way to the pews and, confused by the different structure, decided it would be best not to make an attempt to kneel. Down she sat, her muscled bunched together as to take the smallest amount of space possible, eyes and hands clenched tightly. Her ears twittered against a soft, chilling breeze that crawled from behind—she assumed she had accidentally left the door open, but resolved to ignore the minor discomfort. The folds of her eyelids stacked up in increasing layers as she tried to rebuild the shield of focus in her mind. She slowed her breathing so that she might push out all distracting thoughts and noises, but the song of hearts and minds did not resurface.

"Ooh, I can't seem to do it now!" she pouted, "I've done it a dozen times before! I NEED to find him!"

"Anxious as always, I see…" a voice wisped from the crack of the door and popped right next to Krystal on her seat. The beginning foundations of the vixen's mental generator shattered with a gasp, and as her eyes jutted away from their meditative center, they found another vulpine woman in a similar, cerulean shade of fur, but she carried greater age and wisdom in her white face. "Some things never change." She spoke again with a peaceful grin, watching the girl next to her stutter with wide, unbelieving eyes as if she anticipated her reaction.

"I…I…Ir…is?"

"Yes, dear, it's me." She said with a light, blissful laugh, "It's been quite some time, if I recall correctly."

"It's been twelve years!" the younger vixen exclaimed, as if insulted by her mentor's calm demeanor. "Y-you're…you're dead! You were in the Salvation with the rest of the council and we…"

"I know, I know, I was there. And I see you and some new friends visited what remained of our ship. Thank you for releasing all of us."

"You…saw? So you really were trapped…"

"Yes, I was against the attempt of escape, but Sappho had convinced the rest of the council, and unbeknownst to us we would face a fate worse than death. But now it is all done, our ordeal now but a short flicker in the endless shadow of time and space."

"I…for what it's worth, Lady Iris…I'm sorry for what has happened. It was foolish of us to try and go against our fate."

The older fox laughed again, hardier than before. "There is no need for formalities any longer, my child. My title is of little significance now. As for the…incidents with our planet, it is all done now, and it cannot be undone. It was out of your control, there is no need for you to feel regret or mourning."

"But…then what of the pact? Won't Corneria…this world, be destroyed as well…because of our actions?" Iris's smile subsided as she looked away from her former pupil, who sensed her change in tone and choked in her trail of thought. "Iris…? Iris, please…what's going to happen?"

"Hmm…my child, you must understand. Being dead, you exist on a plane of existence beyond these mortal limitations. Births, deaths…all things that are brought into the universe will eventually leave as well. I am no longer able to feel the worry and frustration that you do for these things I could never hope to change."

The fox girl began to quiver, words barely able to trickle out from her gaping mouth. "So…so it's TRUE, then? What should we do? What will happen to everyone here?" Iris looked towards the altar in the distance. Krystal leaned against her and swung for her cloak, but her fingers were unable to get a hold of anything. "Iris, please…please help me." Iris remained silent, her focus locked to the center, her eyes drifting away as if seeing beyond this church where she barely maintained a visual form on the pews. The linings of her body eased into dimmer and dimmer shades. As she watched, the girl began to cry. "No, please Iris! Don't leave! I can't do this by myself! Please…please stay, I need you!"

"Krystal!" The older fox commanded with a firm tone, making her former pupil pop in her seat. "That is enough. Do not make such drastic conclusions."

"But…" Krystal still sniffled, "But the pact, and…and…"

"Was made by the living, by those who had no grasp of real wisdom. All it is…is semantics." The young vixen only sniffled again and wipes her eyes with her arm in response, still trembling. Iris looked upon her once more and sighed. "You must forgive me, my child, for I…no longer am limited to what you and the living see…Krystal…do you remember what I told you about kindred spirits?"

"…Y-yes, but I don't see what…"

"Let me finish," she said sternly, "All Cerinians are told that we all have one other person with whom we are destined to share everything with. We were told that…alone we are incomplete, and it is only through the joining of two kindred souls that we can become whole. Now let me ask you…which of these things had more importance to you? Which of these things were you more aware of as you grew up?"

"Well, I…I…the kindred spirits, I suppose, but…"

"And do you know why this was more stressed? Because matters of the soul are much more important than the words of our ancestors. There is nothing we can do about what the Progenitors did. There IS something we can do about our spirit."

"But…but Iris! What good will it do if I were to find my kindred spirit if this world is destroyed?"

"Oh?" The elder vixen made a sharp turn and a smirk. "That implies you know he's on this planet."

Krystal's face lit up with a faint pinkish glow. "I…it's not like that, I only meant…"

"Ah, Krystal…I've almost forgotten how awful you are at keeping secrets. Do you really think you can keep something like that from me? I saw the way this city made you frightful, the way outsiders from here and beyond have hurt you. I have always known. And yet, here you are, showing sympathy for a world you've spent but a few short hours on. You've never stayed on a planet more than a few days."

The young fox made a hard swallow, trying to push down all the blush and chokes, stutters and tears. When the thoughts of the Star Fox team and their kindness entered her mind, a seedling of happiness replanted itself in her mind, combating her despair. "Y-yes…it's true, for the first time, in a very long time, I feel a sense of belonging. I've met people…I've only known them for a short amount of time, but…but that's just it. They were so ready to accept me. One of them even said we could be…like a family…I haven't…I was hardly even part of a family back home, I was just so happy, I just have to do what I can to make this work, I can't just leave now…" Still struggling to fight back trickles of water from reddening and weary eyes, she looked at her old mentor and awaited a response. When none came, the budding happiness for recalling her acceptance was halted. "Is this why you're here? Are you trying to tell me I'm too trusting or…I'm mistaken somehow? …Iris, I don't want to leave this place. Don't you see? I want to stay here, with the team, with…"

"With Fox?"

"…So…you DO know…"

"I told you, my dear, I can see all of these things…Once I was released from the ship, it was all very clear to me…Krystal, I have another question for you. Did you wonder why Fox was able to use your staff so well?"

"N…no…" she answered with trembling breath.

"That older man, the hare…he told you about a family that may have mixed Cornerian and Cerinian blood. You told time him some Cerinians are born with the gift."

"…So…Fox has powers like me?"

"Not quite. His blood is a bit too diluted to become a telepath, but the ability to grasp the strength and spiritual power of the original Cerinians is within him. He has…a spark, you might say, a spark that will not go out…a spark that will carry the light and goodness of this world."

Krystal was still in her place on the pew, her shaking had stopped, her breathing had slowed. As though a giant wave had come over her, her displays of sadness and frustration, the flushed cheeks and trembling words, had all washed away.

"And do you remember…" said Iris as she stood up walked in the aisle, inching to the altar, her silhouette thinning in the golden light. "The Krazoa Spirit test? You both proved yourself to be pure of heart…My dear, you really must learn to be more aware of such obvious signs. These things do not foretell the end of a world, they mark a new beginning."

Krystal followed her old mentor slowly, but stopped when the ends of her cloak had faded away. She uncurled her arm and reached for her, but the strands of her long hair escaped the grasp of her fingertips. "So…so the pact is…?"

"It has long been undone. There are people in this world with Cerinian blood flowing inside them, and now you flow through the blood of a Cornerian as well. As long as you all keep living, the pact will be of no effect."

"Lady Iris…will I ever see you again?"

Iris turned her head and gave her pupil one last, blithe smile. "On a day very far from now. Until then, live your new life."

The elder vixen turned away, and her figure melted to translucent dust and scattered throughout the rays of refracted light. A tingling sense of warmth came billowing throughout those bits of light, erasing the cold grip of loneliness the vixen had when she entered. Her heart uplifted, swelling in her chest, the blood flowing through her like a circulating embrace, and her eyes wide and glazed with hope, she burst out the twin doors and rushed through the city.

* * *

By this time, however, on the other side of the massive metropolis, Fox had already returned to the docks with Falco. Riddled with fear and guilt, as the priestess Sappho had infected him, the vulpine wandered about, until Falco caught up with him, just feet away from the church. The avian yelled and cursed at him with such ferocity, the apathetic Fox was blindsided by the noise and rendered helpless. His energy and sense of purpose was restored only upon his return, when Peppy and Slippy told him about Krystal's departure.

"Damn!" Fox cussed under his breath, shaking his fists as he stormed through the crowded streets, ignoring the praise of any resident that recognized his heroic figure. "Why did Krystal just leave like that!?"

"Hey! She went to look for YOU, genius!" snarled Falco as he followed him with as much boiling energy.

"Well, why didn't you guys stop her?"

"Fox, we told you, I really did try," moaned Peppy as he trotted behind, "but she bolted…and I couldn't…keep up…ugh…"

"Maybe…if you…didn't just leave…without telling us…hoo boy…" bellowed Slippy in a weary tone, trailing even further behind than the middle-aged hare.

"I didn't think she was awake yet!" Fox barked back at them, stopping in his tracks. His three teammates stared at him with furrowed and uneasy brows. At the sight of their frustration, he let out a sigh. "Look, I…I'm sorry, guys, I'm just…well, you guys know about that whole…Corneria and Cerinia being conjoint? I was just thinking about why they got separated in the first place. And Krystal…well, she's been moving about all her life…I thought I was being selfish, insisting she stay and everything. Maybe…she doesn't want to be with me at all."

"Ugh, gag me," blurted the falcon, "If she wanted to leave, she would've done it when you had that fight."

"That's enough, Falco," said Peppy, "Listen, Fox, I know you must have your reasons…I don't know what happened on that strange ship. We all…seemed to have experienced it in a different way…"

"Seriously," added Falco.

"Tell me about it…" chimed in Slippy.

"But…the important thing is we got through it together, and that includes Krystal. You should've heard her, you know…she was very worried about you."

"She…she was?"

"Yes, and she ran off when I told her about the possibility that some Cornerians have Cerinian blood in them."

"I…I had no idea…is that really true?"

"Very possible, I would say. But the point is she wants to be one of us…and I think you should let her. You were so sure before, I don't see what could change that."

"Look, Fox," Falco began again in his usual boisterous tone, his chest held high, "I don't know what happened to you, exactly, but when I was in that funky ship, I…saw some weird things, and as it turned out…a lot of it was just a hoax. You shouldn't let some weird haunted ship sway you."

"Yeah, Fox!" cheered the toad, "We believe in you. Shouldn't you believe in yourself?"

"…Thanks, you guys," the vulpine said calmly, his stance firm, "I needed that. I guess I just…thought maybe I'd lose her, and couldn't take it."

"Well, then, let's go retrieve our new member!" proclaimed the hare.

The four of them walked and walked, narrowly avoiding any unwanted attention with silence and steadiness. The teammates soon became aware of Fox's shoulders falling back and tail sagging as more time went on, as more unfamiliar, cloudy faces swished by them. His bright green eyes bounced from every corner, every building, every sign that glowed brighter in befalling evening sky. As darkness crept from the hills on the other side of the city that overlooked the vista of buildings and ocean lining, curdling breaths blasted out from the cracks of Fox's pointed teeth.

"Where could she have possibly gone!?" Slippy cried, "Oh, I hope she's not hurt…or worse!"

"Don't worry so much, Slip," said Peppy, forcing down the amphibian's growing panic with his own calm tone, "I'm sure Krystal can take care of herself…she's been doing this half her life, after all."

"She's fine," asserted Fox as his ears twitched. He instinctively turned his head to the hills and began jogging away from the streets and crowds. "She close…I just know it."

"Hey, what do you think you're doing!?" blurted Falco, "This is no time for a hike!"

"We've searched all of Corneria City…I think she must've left to seek refuge from all the confusion."

"And how would you know something like THAT?"

"I just…can."

"What kind of crap…"

"Falco!" snapped the hare, "Fox hasn't steered us wrong before."

"Ugh, whatever…"

* * *

As the team ascended, howling winds surged through the rocks and weeds that covered the pointed hills. Falco, Peppy and Slippy pushed themselves upward to the extent their bodies would allow, but helplessly watched as Fox bolted ahead without so much as a fatigued exhale or a drop of sweat.

"Krystal!" he shouted as he made the transition of running to climbing, throwing any rocks not firmly implanted in the sliding wall out of his path. His cries echoed into the oncoming night. "Krystal! Are you there!?"

"Fox…?" a soft voice crept from over the very last cliff. As Fox threw himself over the edge of dried grass and gritty dirt, he found a blue vixen, sitting with her hands on bent knees, her short hair floating against the chilled gusts, and her teal eyes gleaming brighter than the millions of tiny specks of neon light below. "Fox!" she cried, launching herself towards him.

"Krystal! I was so worried!" the fox exclaimed as wrapped her with his arms upon the impact.

"I was worried about YOU! I got lost, but…I knew you'd find me here."

"It's okay, Krystal," Fox said, his voice smoothed out as he brushed his fingers against her white face. "I'm sorry for what I've done. I didn't mean to upset you…but I won't leave you alone anymore."

The vixen looked up at him, her eyelids lowered as to deter the flow of tears and to focus on the warming sensation of his touch. "…I'd like that," she said in a whisper. As the other three caught up and saw the two foxes in their embrace, they united as a single group, a team, as the stars revealed themselves from the blanket of darkness.

The End


End file.
